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LIBEAB1T 

theological   f  cminavjj, 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 
The  Stephen  Collins  Donation. 

Xo.  c<i*t\  j;^$>     PJ  7T15 
No.  $tfd        jr.L_Z6 


THE 


THOUSAND  AND  ONE  NIGHTS; 

OK,    THE 

ARABIAN  NIGHTS'  ENTERTAINMENTS 

TRANSLATED  AND  ARRANGED  FOR  FAMILY  READING, 

ffiJEit!)  15rplanaton>  Notes, 
By    E.    W.    Lane,     Esq. 

FROM    THE    SECOND    LONDON    EDITION. 

ILLUSTRATED    WITH    SIX    HUNDRED    WOODCUTS    BY     HARVEY,    AND 
ILLUMINATED    TITLES     BY     OWEN    JONES. 

IN      TWO      VOLUMES. 

VOL.    II. 


NEW     YORK: 

HARPER    &   BROTHERS,   PUBLISHERS, 

82    CLIFF    STREET 

1848. 


CONTENTS  OF  THE  SECOND  VOLUME. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Page 

Story  of  Ali  Shir  and  Zumroud 1 

CHAPTER   XVI. 
Story  of  Ibn  Mansour  and  the  Lady  Badoura,  and  Jubir  the  Son  of  Omir 
Sheibani 30 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Story  of  the  Magic  Horse 45 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Story  of  Ansal  Wajoud  and  Rose  in  Bloom 67 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Story  of  Ali  of  Cairo 88 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Story  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor  and  Sindbad  the  Porter 109 

First  Voyage  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor 


Second  Voyage    . 

Third  Voyage 

Fourth  Voyage     . 

Fifth  Voyage 

Sixth  Voyage 

Seventh  Voyage  . 

Conclusion  of  the  Story  of  S 


113 
121 
130 
140 
152 
162 
169 
174 


indbad  the  Sailor  and  Sindbad  the  Porter 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Story  of  the  City  of  Brass 175 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Story  of  Joudar 201 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Story  of  Gulnare  of  the  Sea 240 

Story  of  Beder  Basim  and  Giohara 252 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Story  of  Seifelmolouk  and  Bedia  Eljenial 278 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Story  of  Hassan  of  Balsora  ..........     327 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Stoiy  of  Califa  the  Fisherman 429 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
Story  of  Abousir  and  Aboukir      .........     460 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Story  of  Abtlalla  of  the  Land  and  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  .....     486 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Story  of  Ibrahim  and  Gemila       .........     504 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
Story  of  Marouf 524 

Conclusion  .  .........     570 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  VOL.  II. 


Illuminated  Title.  Engravers'  Names.  Pago 

Head-piece  to  Table  of  Contents       ....  Landells         .  v. 

Tail-piece  to  Table  of  Contents          ....  Mason  Jackson  vi. 

Head-piece  to  List  of  Illustrations     ....  Gray        .         .  vii. 

Tail-piece  to  List  of  Illustrations       ....  Landells         .  xii. 

Majdal-din  advising  Ali  Shir Jackson  ...  1 

AH  Shir  at  his  Door Miss  Williams         .  4 

Scene  in  the  Slave  Market T.  Williams    .         .  6 

Zumroud  giving  the  Purse  of  Gold  to  Ali  Shir  .         .  Gray        ...  8 

Zumroud  embroidering A.  J.  Mason     .         .  9 

The  Broker  running  away  with  the  Key  of  Ali  Shir's 

Saloon  .........  Gray         ...  12 


LISf  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  Old  Woman  with  the  Crate        .... 

Zumroud  descending  from  the  Window    . 

Zumroud's  Escape  with  the  Trooper's  Horse    . 

Barsum  detected  by  Zumroud  ..... 

Jawan's  Discovery  of  the  Flight  of  Zumroud     . 

Zumroud  weeping  at  the  Remembrance  of  Ali  Shir 

Ali  Shir  asleep  on  the  Stone  Seat      .... 

Giving  Alms      .  .  .  .  . 

Haroun  Alrashid  and  Mesrour 

The  Garden  and  Palace  at  Balsora    .... 

Ibn  Mansour  at  the  Door  of  the  House  of  the  Lady 
Badoura        ........ 

The  Slave  Girl  kissing  the  Lady  Badoura 

Lute  ......... 

Jubir  Fainting  ........ 

The  Slave  reproving  Ibn  Mansour    .... 

Marriage  of  Jubir  and  the  Lady  Badoura 

Mesrour  the  Executioner  ..... 

The  Three  Sages  with  their  Offerings 

Descent  on  the  Roof  of  the  Palace  at  Sana 

The  Eunuch  throwing  Dust  on  his  Head  . 

The  King's  Son  on  the  Magic  Horse  amid  the  Troops 
at  Sana ......... 

The  King  of  Sana  and  his  Wife  supplicating  the 
Persian  Prince       ....... 

The  King's  Son  on  his  Journey  in  quest  of  the  Dam- 
sel ......... 

King  equipped  for  the  Chase    .         .         .         .         . 

The  Damsel  feigning  Madness  ..... 

Flight  of  the  King's  Son  and  the  Damsel  from  amid 
the  Greek  Troops  ...... 

Rose  in  Bloom  throwing  the  Apple  at  Ansal  Wajoud 

Ansal  Wajoud  in  the  Desert      ..... 

Ansal  Wajoud  and  the  Lion      ..... 

Ansal  Wajoud  by  the  Sea-shore         .... 

Ansal  Wajoud  on  the  Gourds     ..... 

The  Impregnable  Palace  .         . 

Rose  in  Bloom  and  the  Boatman       .... 

The  Fairy  carrying  off  her  Beloved  . 

Camels  prepared  for  a  Journey  .... 

Ansal  Wajoud  and  the  Gardener  among  the  Birds    . 

Ali  of  Cairo  at  his  Father's  Tomb      . 

Burial-ground 

Nilo meter  and  part  of  Masr-el-Ateekah 

A  Boat  of  the  Nile 

A  Street  in  Damascus 


Engravers*  NameB. 

Williamson     . 
Slader    . 
Landells 

Wright  &  Folkard 
Wright  &  Folkard 
A.  J.  Mason  . 
Miss  H.  Clarke 
Landells 
Jackson  . 
Bastin 

Jennings 
Slader    . 
Bastin 
T.  Gilks  . 
Bastin     . 
Miss  William 
Landells 
Jackson   . 
Jackson  . 
Slader    . 

Folkard 


M.  Jackson 


T.  Williams 

Landells 

Vasey 

Feldwick 
T.  Williams 
Williamson 
Miss  H.  Clarke 
Gray 
Whimper 
Williamson 
Gray 
Green 
Landells 
Jennings 
Gray 
Whimper 
Whimper 
Jackson  . 
Evans 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Shower  of  Gold         ....... 

Merchants  and  their  Harems  awaiting  the  Arrival  of 

the  Caravan  of  Ali  of  Cairo 

Dispersion  of  the  Genii     ...... 

Ali  of  Cairo  opening  the  Chests  of  Treasure 
Hassan  presented  to  the  Sultan  .... 

Cadi  and  attendant  Ulama         ..... 

The  King's  Body  prepared  for  Burial 

Sindbad  the  Porter  ....... 

Stone  Curlew 

Tail-piece  ........ 

Bagdad     ......... 

Sindbad  the  Sailor  in  the  Bowl  .... 

Sea-horse  ........ 

Sindbad  the  Sailor  recognized  by  the  Captain  . 
Tail-piece  to  the  First  Voyage  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor 
Head-piece  to  the  Second  Voyage 
Roc's  Egg         .... 

The  Roc 

The  Roc  carrying  off  the  Serpent 

Rhinoceros  and  Elephant,  &c.  . 

Balsora     ..... 

The  Ship  attacked  by  Apes 

The  Giant  and  his  Prisoners 

Sindbad  the  Sailor  hailing  the  Vessel 

Tail-piece  to  the  Third  Voyage 

Sindbad  the  Sailor  and  his  Companions  on  the  Plank 

Cannibals  intoxicating  Sindbad's  Companions  . 

The  Pepper-gatherers  listening  to  Sindbad's  Stoiy    . 

Sindbad's  Friend  lowered  into  the  Sepulchral  Cavern 

The  Beast  in  the  Cavern 

Sindbad  quitting  the  Cavern 

The  Rocs  sinking  the  Ship         ..... 

The  Old  Man  of  the  Sea  on  Sindbad's  Shoulders 
Sindbad  killing  the  Old  Man  of  the  Sea   . 
Gathering  Cocoa-nuts 
Balsora     .... 

Tail-piece  to  the  Fifth  Voyage 

The  Wreck 

Sindbad  on  the  Raft 

Tail-piece  to  the  Sixth  Voyage  .... 

Attack  on  the  Ship  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor 

The  Elephant  uprooting  the  Tree     .... 

Sindbad  the  Sailor    ....... 

Tail-piece  to  the  Seventh  Voyage  of  Sindbad   the 
Sailor    ......... 


Engravers'  Names. 

Williamson 


Feldwick 

Green 

M.  A.  Williams 

M.  Jackson 

Slader    . 

Lan dells 

T.  Williams    . 

Mary  Ann  Cook 

Landells 

Jackson   . 

Whimper 

S.  Williams     . 

Jackson  . 

Landells 

Green 

G.  Nicholls     . 

Landells 

Green 

Landells 

E.  Evans 

M. Jackson 

Slader    . 

Williamson 

Landells 

Whimper 

Feldwick 

Walmsley 

Bastin 

Gray 

Bastin 

S.  Williams 

T.  Williams 

Harriet  Clahkb 

Jackson  . 

Nicholls 

Jackson  . 

Whimper 

Green 

Bastin 

Landells 

Gray 

Feldwick 


96 


Landells 


174 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Engravers'  Names. 

Ship  arriving  at  the  Land  of  the  Blacks    .         .         .  Gray 

Genie  issuing  from  one  of  Solomon's  Bottles     .  .  Folkard  . 

Palace  of  Kosh  the  Son  of  Sheddad  .         .         .         .  Miss  Williams 

Horseman  of  Brass    .......  Harriet  Clarke 

The  Afrite  in  the  Pillar Landells 

The  refractory  Genii  overcome  by  Solomon's  Forces  Mason  Jackson 

Dahish  overtaken  by  Dimiriat  .....  Feldwick 

The  Ten  Damsels  in  the  City  of  Brass       .         .         .  Landells 

Tower  of  Brass Evans 

Mountain  and  Sea  of  Karkar Whimper 

Negroes    .........  Jackson  . 

Tail-piece  ........  Landells 

Salim  and  Selim  beating  their  Mother       .         .         .  Whimper 

Joudar  at  the  Shop  of  the  Baker        .         .         .         .  T.  Williams 

Mograbin  accosting  Joudar        .....  Nicholls 

Joudar  leading  the  Mule  to  the  Jew  .         .         .  Gray 

Joudar  drawing  the  Mograbin  out  of  the  Lake  .  M.  A.  Cook 

Joudar  and  the  Mograbin  resting  on  their  Journey    .  Gray 

Travelers  halting      .......  Landells 

The  Mule  descending  into  the  Earth         .         .         .  Bastin     . 

Incantation Whimper 

Joudar  threatening  the  Semblance  of  his  Mother      .  Landells 

Bab  el-Nasr       ........  Green 

Suez Folkard 

Encampment  of  Arabs       ......  Jackson  . 

The  Genie   appearing  to  the   two  Brothers  in  the 

Prison  .........  Green 

Joudar's  Palace  and  Gardens    .....  Gray 

The  Emir  at  the  Door  of  Joudar's  Palace  .         .  M.  A.  Williams 

The  King's  Daughter         ......  Feldwick 

Makad,  or  Principal  Room        .....  Evans 

Tail-piece  ........  Mason 

Gulnare  and  the  Merchant Thompson 

Persian  Harps  ........  Landells 

Gulnare  on  the  Sea-shore  .....  Evans 

Gulnare's  Relations  coming  forth  from  the  Sea  .  Jackson   . 

GuLnare's  Relations  flying  back  into  the  Sea     .         .  Feldwick 

Beder  Basim    ........  Landells 

Beder  Basim  making  known  his  Passion  .         .         .  Bastin 

Beder  Basim  addressing  Giohara  in  the  Tree    .         .  Gray 

The  Fowler  with  the  Bird        .....  Landells 

The  King's  Wife  disenchanting  Beder  Basim    .         .  Landells 

Beder  Basim  arriving  at  the  City  of  the  Enchanters  Whimper 

Queen  Labe  and  Beder  Basim  reclining  at  a  Window  Jackson  . 

Queen  Labe  performing  the  Incantation    .         .         .  Green 

The  Sheikh Harriet  Clarke 

viii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Engravers'  Names.  Page 

Gulnare  of  the  Sea Landells  .  .  277 

Asim  and  his  Vizier  .         ......  Jackson  .  .  .  278 

The  two  Viziers  advancing  amid  Solomon's  Troops  Folkard  .  .  .  280 

The  King  Asim  and  his  Vizier  in  the  Tree        .         .  Landells  .  .  283 

The  two  Serpents     .......  Harriet  Clarke  .  284 

Mosque Evans       .  .  .  286 

The  King  Asim  crowning  Seifelmolouk     .         .         .  Nicholls  .  287 

Consultation  of  the  Merchants  and  Travelers     .         .  Gray        .  .  .  291 

Storm  at  Sea Whimper  .  .  294 

The  Queen  and  her  Captives    .         .         .         .         .  T.  Williams  .  .  297 

Apes         .........  Armstrong  .  .  299 

The  Son  of  the  Blue  King  carrying  off  DowletKatoun  M.Jackson  .  .  302 

The  Coffer  rising  from  the  Sea          ....  Gray        .  .  .  305 

Arrival  at  Emaria     .......  Whimper  .  .  307 

Said  Gathering  Pears         ....                   .  Green      .  .  .310 

The  Ghoul  slain  by  Said Bastin      .  .  .313 

Bedia  Eljemal  and  Dowlet  Katouu   .         .         .         .  T.  Williams  .  .  314 

Seifelmolouk  in  the  Garden      .....  Jackson    .  .  .  316 

Maijana  carrying  Seifelmolouk          ....  Harriet  Clarke  .  320 

Genii  carrying  off  Seifelmolouk         ....  Green      .  .  .  322 

Arrival  of  Seifelmolouk  and  Said  in  the  Land  of  Egypt  Jackson   .  .  .  324 

Sphinx Jackson   .  .  .  325 

Hassan  and  the  Persian     ......  Jackson   .  .  .  327 

Market Landells  .  .  329 

Bahram  the  Magian Vasey       .  .  .  330 

Hassan  conveyed  to  the  Ship    .         .                  .         .  Whimper  .  .  332 

Hassan's  Tomb Green      .  .  .  334 

The  Magian  summoning  Camels       ....  Harriet  Clarke  .  337 

Hassan  falling  from  the  Summit  of  the  Mountain      .  Whimper  .  .  339 

Hassan  slaying  the  Magian Folkard  .  .  ,  343 

Damsels  bathing Nicholls  .  345 

Return  of  the  Seven  Sisters      .....  Gray         .  .  .  348 

Hassan's  Sister  canying  him  to  the  Top  of  the  Palace  Jackson   .  .  .  350 

Hassan  about  to  seize  his  Beloved    .         .         .         .  T.  Williams  .  .  352 

The  Marriage Landells  .  .  356 

Hassan  taking  leave  of  his  Sister       ....  Gray        .  .  .  358 

Camels  kneeling  at  the  Door  of  Hassan's  House        .  Armstrong  .  .  358 

Crossing  the  Desert Whimper  .  .  359 

Hassan  taking  leave  of  his  Mother,  and  Wife,  and 

Children Nicholls  .  .  362 

The  Flight  of  Hassan's  Wife Gray        .  .  .366 

Zobeide  apologizing  to  Hassan's  Mother  .         .         .  Gray        .  .  .  367 

Hassan's  distress  on  hearing  of  the  Flight  of  his  Wife  Landells  .  .  370 

Hassan  approaching  the  Palace  of  the  Seven  Sisters  Whimper  .  .  372 

Abdelcadus  on  the  Elephant Harriet  Clarke  .  375 

The  Elephant  at  the  Entrance  of  the  Cavern    .         .  Harriet  Clarke  376 

2  ix 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Rod 


Hassan  met  by  Horses  numerous  as  the  Drops  of  Rain 
Hassan  upon  the  Shoulders  of  the  Afrite  Dahnash     . 
Ships  arrived  from  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak 
Hassan  arming  himself      ...... 

Land  of  the  Wild  Beasts  ...... 

Damsels  bathing  in  the  Presence  of  Hassan 

The  Queen  displaying  the  Women  before  Hassan     . 

The  two  Children  committed  to  the  Old  Woman 

The  two  Children  recognizing  then-  Father 

Menar  Elsena  in  Prison    ...... 

Hassan  reading  the  Paper  found  on  the  Tree     . 
Hassan  settling  the  Dispute  between  the  two  Boys  . 
The  Vessels  of  Glass  and  China-ware  falling  upon  the 

Old  Woman 

Hassan  discovering  himself  to  his  Wife 

The  seven  Afrites  summoned  by  means  of  the 

Another  Afrite  presenting  himself  to  Hassan 

Battle  with  the  Troops  of  Wak-Wak 

The  King  Hasoun  approaching  Hassan 

The  Elephant  of  Abdelcadus     . 

Tail-piece  ...... 

Califa  drawing  the  Ape  out  of  the  River  . 
The  three  Apes 

Fish 

Califa  at  the  Shop  of  the  Jew  . 

Califa  wrapped  in  his  Net 

The  Caliph  and  Giafar  discovering  the  Fisherman 

Mamlonks  taking  the  Fish 

Califa  with  Giafar  and  the  Eunuch  . 

Califa  introduced  to  the  Caliph 

Califa  purchasing  the  Chest 

Califa  on  the  Chest  ..... 

Califa  thrown  from  the  Mule     . 

Califa  taken  to  the  Caliph 

Tail-piece  ...... 

Alexandria        ...... 

Door  of  Aboukir's  Shop  nailed  up    . 
Abousir  shaving  a  Passenger  in  the  Galleon 
The  Galleon  moored  at  a  City  . 

Shop  of  the  Dyer 

The  Barber  sick 

The  Bath 

Damsels  plaiting  the  Queen's  Hair    . 

The  Dyer  going  to  the  King 

The  King  making  the  Sign  to  cast  Abousir  into  the 

Sea 


E  E 


Engravers?  Names. 

Jackson   . 

Green 

Whimper 

Mary  Ann  Cook 

Jackson  . 

Folkard  . 

Gray 

Mason 

Nicholls 

Thompson 

Evans 

M. Jackson 

Jackson    . 

Thompson 

Green 

Whimper 

Whimper 

Landells 

Harriet  Clari 

Evans 

Jackson    . 

Jackson   . 

Jackson   . 

T.  Williams 

Harriet  Clarke 

Whimper 

Folkard  . 

Folkard  . 

Evans 

Gray 

T.  Williams 

Evans 

Branston 

Evans 

Jackson   . 

Landells 

Thompson 

Bastin 

Gray 

Gray 

Evans 

S.  Williams 

Mary  Ann  Cook 

M.  A.  Williams 


480 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Abousir  emptying  the  Net         ..... 

Alexandria        ........ 

Tail-piece  .     -    . 

Abdalla  of  the  Land  and  his  Children 

Baker's  Shop    ...... 

Abdalla  of  the  Land  carrying  a  Basket  of  Fruit 
Destruction  of  Ad  and  Thainoud       .... 

Abdalla  of  the  Laud  and  Abdalla  of  the  Sea 

The  two  Abdallas  in  the  Sea    ..... 

Abdalla  of  the  Land  in  the  House  of  Abdalla  of  the 

Sea        .  

Wonders  of  the  Sea  ....... 

Tail-piece  ........ 

Bookseller's  Shop     . 

Ibrahim  accosting  the  Bedouin  .... 

Widow's  Bridge,  Balsora  ..... 

Ibrahim  at  the  Shop  of  the  Tailor     .... 

Ibrahim  landing  at  the  Garden  .... 

Antelopes,  Hares,  &c.       ...... 

Gemila  dancing         ....... 

Ibrahim  among  the  Ruins  ..... 

Ibrahim  arrested  by  the  Officers  of  the  Judge  . 
Tail-piece  .         .         .         . 

Marouf  and  his  Wife  ...... 

Marouf  aided  by  his  Neighbors  .  .  .  . 

Water-skins      ........ 

The  Genie  appearing  to  Marouf       .... 

The  Genie  carrying  off  Marouf         . 

The  Merchant  Ali  dispersing  the  People  . 

Christians  detecting  Marouf  and  Ali 

Marouf  giving  Alms  .  ...... 

Marouf  showing  the  broken  Jewel  to  the  King 
Marouf  viewing  the  Sports        ..... 

The  Princess  caressing  Marouf         .... 

Marouf  bidding  farewell  to  his  Wife 

Man  at  the  Plow 

Aboulsadat  appearing  to  Marouf  .         . 

Plowman  briuging  the  Bowl  of  Lentils     . 

The  Messenger  delivering  the  Letter  to  the  King 

Marouf  entering  the  City 

The  Garden 

The  Desert 

The  Vizier  overcome  by  the  Princess       .         .         . 
Fatima  el-Orra  mourning  ...... 

Fatima  el-Orra  humbling  herself  before  Marouf 
Death  of  Fatima  el-Orra    ...... 


Engravers'  Names.  Page 

Wall        .         .  .481 

Jackson  .         .  .     484 

M.  Jackson      .  .     485 

Green      .         .  .     486 

Folkard  .  .     488 

Harriet  Clarke  .     492 

Jackson  .  .     493 
Seares  &  Williams     49G 

Whimper  .     498 

Jackson  .         .  .     500 

Jackson    .         .  .     502 

Lax dells  .  .     503 

Landells         .  .     504 

Harriet  Clarke  .     505 

Nicholls  .  .     508 

Evans      .         .  .511 

Harriet  Clarke  .     513 

Gray        .  .  .515 

T.  Williams     .  .517 

M.  Jackson      .  .     520 

Green       .  .  .521 

Jackson    .         .  .     523 

Jackson   .         .  .     524 

Bastin     .         .  .     52G 

Thompson  .  .     528 

Whimper  .  .     529 

Bastin     .         .  .530 

Folkard  .         .  .531 

M.  A.  Williams  .     532 

Evans      .         .  .536 

Harriet  Clarke  .     539 

Folkard  .         .  .     541 

Harriet  Clarke  .     544 

Bastin     .         .  .     546 

Nugent    .         .  .     548 
Thurston  Thompson    549 

Harriet  Clarke  .     551 

Miss  Williams  .     553 

Green      .         .  .     555 

Landells  .  .     558 

E.  M.  Williams  .     560 

Alex.  Landells  .     562 

Miss  C.  Bond  .  .     564 

Eliza  Thompson  .     565 
Mary  A.  Williams       567 
xi 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Engravers'  Names.  Pnge 

Tail-piece                   ,                                    ...     Evans       .         .  .     569 

Head-piece       .                                   ....     Juliet  E.  Dudley  .     570 

Sheherazade  and  the  Children  before  the  Kiug              Quartley         .  .     571 


Majdal-din  advising  Ali  Sliir. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  THREE  HUNDRED  AND  EIGHTH  NIGHT, 
AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  THREE  HUNDRED  AND  TWENTY- 
SEVENTH. 

THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SIIIU  AND  ZUMttOUD. 

There  was,  in  ancient  times,  a  certain  merchant  in  the  land  of  Khora- 
san,  whose  name  was  Majdal-din,  and  he  had  great  wealth,  and  black  slaves, 
and  mamlouks,  and  pages ;  but  he  had  attained  to  the  age  of  sixty  years, 
and  had  not  been  blessed  with  a  son.  Alter  this,  however,  God  (whoso 
name  be  exalted  !)  blessed  him  with  a  son,  and  he  named  him  Ali  Shir. 

When  this  boy  grew  up,  he  became  like  the  full  moon  ;  and  when  he 
had  attained  to  manhood,  and  was  endowed  with  ever)  charm,  his  father 
fell  sick  of  a  fatal  disease.  So  he  called  his  son  and  said  to  him,  O  my  son, 
the  period  of  death  hath  drawn  near,  and  I  desire  to  give  thee  a  charge. 
And  what  is  it,  O  niv  father.'  said  the  young  man.  He  answered  I 
Voi     I!      \  I 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROL'D. 

charge  thee  that  thou  be  not  familiar  with  any  one  among  mankind,  and 
that  thou  shun  what  may  bring  injury  and  misfortune.  Beware  of  the  evil 
associate  ;  for  he  is  like  the  blacksmith  :  if  his  fire  burn  thee  not,  his  smoke 
will  annoy  thee.     How  excellent  is  the  saying  of  the  poet ! 

There  is  none  in  thy  time  whose  friendship  thou  shouldst  covet ;  nor  any  intimate 

who,  when  fortune  is  treacherous,  will  be  faithful. 
Live,  then,  apart,  and  rely  upon  no  man  :  I  have  given  thee,  in  these  words,  good 

advice  and  sufficient. 

And  the  saying  of  another: 

Men  are  as  a  latent  disease  :  rely  not,  therefore,  upon  them. 
Thou  wilt  find  guile  and  artifice  in  them,  if  thou  examine  them. 

And  that  of  another  : 

Intercourse  with  men  profiteth  nothing,  unless  to  pass  time  in  idle  conversation. 
Then  converse  with  them  little,  except  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  knowledge  or 
rectifying  an  affair. 

And  the  saying  of  another  : 

If  a  person  of  sagacity  hath  tried  mankind,  I  have  eaten  them,  when  he  hath  but 

tasted  ; 
And  I  have  seen  their  affection  to  be  naught  but  deceit,  and  their  religion  I  have 

seen  to  be  naught  but  hypocrisy. 

The  young  man  replied,  O  my  father,  I  hear  and  obey.  Then  what  next 
dost  thou  counsel  me  to  do  ?  His  father  answered,  Do  good  when  thou 
art  able ;  persevere  in  comely  conduct  toward  men,  and  avail  thyself  of 
opportunities  to  dispense  kind  actions;  for  a  wish  is  not  always  of  easy 
accomplishment;  and  how  good  is  the  saying  of  the  poet! 

It  is  not  at  every  time  and  season  that  acts  of  beneficence  are  easily  performed. 
When  thou  art  able,  then,  hasten  to  do  them,  lest  they  should  become  difficult  to 
execute. 

And  the  son  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  Then  what  more  ?  O  my  son, 
answered  the  father,  be  mindful  of  God  :  He  will  then  be  mindful  of  thee. 
Guard  also  thy  wealth,  and  be  not  prodigal  of  it ;  for  if  thou  be  prodigal  of 
it,  thou  wilt  become  in  need  of  the  assistance  of  the  least  of  mankind  :  and 
know  that  the  estimation  in  which  a  man  is  held  is  according  to  that  which 
his  right  hand  possesseth.     How  excellent  is  the  saying  of  the  poet! 

When  my  wealth  becometh  little,  no  friend  cousorteth  with  me  ;  but  when  it  in- 
creased], all  men  are  my  friends. 

How  many  enemies  for  the  sake  of  wealth  have  borne  me  company  !  And  how 
many  friends  for  its  loss  have  become  my  enemies. 

And  what  besides  ?  said  the  young  man.  His  father  answered,  O  my 
son,  consult  him  who  is  older  than  thyself,  and  hasten  not  to  perform  a  thing 
that  thou  desirest  to  do  :  have  compassion  also  upon  him  who  is  thine  in- 
ferior; then  he  who  is  thy  superior  will  have  compassion  upon  thee;  and 
oppress  not  any,  lest  God  give  power  over  thee  to  one  who  will  oppress 
thee.     How  excellent  is  the  saying  of  the  poet! 

Add  to  thy  judgment  another's,  and  ask  counsel ;  for  the  truth  is  not  concealed 

from  the  minds  of  two. 
A  man's  mind  is  a  mirror,  which  showeth  him  his  face ;  and  by  means  of  two 

mirrors  be  will  see  his  back. 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

And  that  of  another: 

Deliberate,  and  haste  not  to  accomplish  thy  desire ;  and  be  merciful,  so  shalt  thou 

meet  with  one  merciful; 
For  there  is  no  hand  but  God's  hand  is  above  it ;  nor  oppressor  that  shall  not  meet 

with  an  oppressor. 

Beware  of  drinking  wine  ;  for  it  is  the  chief  of  every  evil :  it  dispelleth  the 
reason,  and  bringeth  contempt  upon  the  drinker:  how  good  is  the  saying 
of  the  poet ! 

By  Allah,  wine  shall  not  disturb  me  while  my  soul  is  united  with  my  body,  and 

while  words  explain  my  thoughts  ; 
Nor  ever  will  I  childishly  attach  myself  to  it,  nor  choose  any  one  as  my  associate 

but  the  sober. 

This  is  my  charge  to  thee,  and  do  thou  keep  it  before  thine  eyes  ;  and  may 
God  supply  my  place  to  thee  !  Then  he  fainted,  and  remained  a  while 
silent ;  after  which  he  recovered  his  senses,  and  begged  forgiveness  of  God, 
pronounced  the  professions  of  the  faith,  and  was  admitted  to  the  mercy  of 
God,  whose  name  be  exalted. 

His  son  wept  for  him  and  lamented.  He  made  becoming  preparations 
for  his  burial ;  great  and  small  walked  in  his  funeral  procession,  the  reciters 
of  the  Koran  recited  around  his  bier,  and  his  son  omitted  not  the  perform- 
ance of  any  honor  that  was  due  to  the  deceased.  They  then  prayed  over 
him  and  interred  him,  aud  inscribed  upon  his  tomb  these  two  verses  : 

Thou  wast  formed  of  dust,  and  earnest  to  life,  and  learnedst  eloquence  of  discourse , 
And  to  dust  thou  returnedst,  aud  becamest  a  corpse,  as  though  from  the  dust  thou 
hadst  never  issued. 

His  son  Ali  Shir  grieved  for  him  violently,  and  observed  the  ceremonies 
of  mourning  for  him  in  the  manner  usual  at  the  death  of  persons  of  dis- 
tinction. He  remained  mourning  for  his  father  until  his  mother  died  a 
short  time  after  him  ;  when  he  did  with  the  corpse  of  his  mother  as  he 
had  done  with  that  of  his  father.  And  after  this  he  sat  in  the  shop  to  sell 
and  buy,  and  associated  with  no  one  of  the  creatures  of  God  (whose  name 
be  exalted  !),  conforming  to  the  charge  of  his  father. 

Thus  he  continued  to  do  for  the  space  of  a  year;  but  after  the  expira- 
tion of  the  year  the  sons  of  the  licentious  women  obtained  access  to  him 
by  stratagems,  and  became  his  companions,  so  that  he  inclined  with  them 
unto  wickedness,  and  declined  from  the  path  of  rectitude  ;  he  drank  wine 
by  cupfuls,  and  to  the  beauties  morning  and  evening  he  repaired;  and  he 
said  within  himself,  My  father  hath  amassed  for  mo  this  wealth,  and  if  I 
dispose  not  of  it,  to  whom  shall  1  leave  it  ?  By  Allah,  I  will  not  do  but  as 
the  poet  hath  said  : 

If  during  the  whole  of  thy  life  thou  collectcst  and  amassest  property, 
When  wilt  thou  enjoy  thy  wealth  which  thou  hast  thus  acquired  ! 

He  ceased  not  to  squander  his  wealth  night  and  day,  until  he  had  expended 
the  whole  of  it  and  was  reduced  to  poverty.  Evil  was  his  condition,  and 
disturbed  was  his  mind  ;  and  he  sold  the  shop,  and  the  dwellings,  and  other 
possessions  ;  and  after  that  he  sold  his  clothes,  not  leaving  for  himself  more 
than  one  suit. 

Now  when  intoxication  had  quitted  him  and  reflection  had  come,  he  fell 
into  grief;  and  he  sat  one  day  from  dawn  until  the  time  of  afternoon  pray- 
ers without  breaking  fast ;  whereupon  he  said  within  himself,  I  will  go 

3 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

'     Ufl 


Ali  Shir  at  his  dour. 

round  to  those  upon  whom  I  spent  my  wealth  :  pei'naps  one  of  them  will 
feed  me  this  day.  He  therefore  went  round  to  all  of  them  ;  but  on  each 
occasion  of  his  knocking  at  the  door  of  one  of  them,  the  man  denied  him- 
self, and  hid  himself  from  him  ;  so  hunger  tortured  him.  And  he  went 
to  the  market  of  the  merchants,  and  found  there  a  ring  of  persons  crowd- 
ing together,  and  the  people  flocking  thither;  upon  which  he  said  within 
himself,  What  can  be  the  reason  of  the  assembling  of  these  people  ?  By 
Allah,  I  will  not  remove  from  this  place  until  I  have  gratified  myself  with 
a  sight  of  this  ring.  Then  advancing  to  it,  he  found  there  a  damsel  of  qui- 
nary stature,  of  just  figure,  rosy-cheeked,  high-bosomed  ;  she  surpassed 
the  people  of  her  age  in  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  in  elegance  and  in  eveiy 
charm.  The  name  of  this  damsel  was  Zumroud ;  and  when  Ali  Shir  be- 
held her,  he  wondered  at  her  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  said,  By  Allah,  1 
4 


THK  STORY  OF  AL1  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

will  not  depart  until  I  see  to  what  sum  the  price  of  this  damsel  will  amount, 
and  know  who  will  purchase  her.  So  he  stood  among  the  merchants,  and 
they  imagined  that  he  would  buy,  as  they  knew  the  abundance  of  wealth 
that  he  had  inherited  from  his  parents. 

The  broker  having  stationed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  damsel,  then 
said,  O  merchants !  O  possessors  of  wealth !  who  will  open  the  bidding 
for  this  damsel,  the  mistress  of  moon-like  beauties,  the  precious  pearl, 
Zumroud  the  curtain-maker,  the  object  of  the  seeker's  wishes,  and  the 
delight  of  the  desirer  ?  Open  the  bidding  ;  for  the  opener  is  not  obnoxious 
to  blame  or  reproach  !  And  one  of  the  merchants  said,  Let  her  be  mine 
for  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold.  Another  said,  And  ten.  And  a  sheikh, 
named  Rashideddin,  who  had  blue  eyes  and  a  foul  aspect,  said,  And  a  hund- 
red. Another  then  said,  And  ten.  And  the  sheikh  said,  For  a  thousand 
pieces  of  gold.  And  upon  this  the  tongues  of  the  merchants  were  tied,  and 
they  were  silent.  The  broker  therefore  consulted  the  damsel's  owner; 
but  he  said,  I  am  under  an  oath  that  I  will  not  sell  her  save  unto  him  whom 
she  will  choose  :  so  consult  her.  The  broker  accordingly  came  to  her  and 
said,  O  mistress  of  moon-like  beauties,  this  merchant  desiretli  to  purchase 
thee.  And  she  looked  at  him,  and,  seeing  him  to  be  as  we  have  described, 
she  said  to  the  broker,  I  will  not  be  sold  to  a  sheikh  whom  old  age  hath 
reduced  to  a  most  evil  condition.     Divinely  gifted  was  he  who  said, 

I  asked  her  for  a  kiss  one  day ;  and  she  beheld  my  hoariness  (but  I  was  possessed 

of  wealth  and  affluence), 
And  she  turned  away  from  me,  saying,  Nay  ;  by  Him  who  created  mankind  out 

of  nothing, 
I  have  no  desire  for  hoary  hairs.     Shall  my  mouth  while  I  am  living  be  stuffed 

with  cotton  ? 

And  when  the  broker  heard  her  words,  lie  said  to  her,  By  Allah,  thou  art 
excused,  and  thy  value  is  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  Then  he  informed 
her  owner  that  she  approved  not  of  that  sheikh  :  and  he  replied,  Consult 
her  respecting  another.  And  another  man  advanced  and  said,  Let  her  be 
mine  for  the  sum  that  the  sheikh  of  whom  she  approved  not  offered  for 
her.  But  the  damsel,  looking  at  that  man,  found  that  he  had  a  dyed  beard  ; 
whereupon  she  said,  What  is  this  disgrace,  and  this  dubious  conduct,  and 
blackening  of  hoary  hairs  !  And  after  expressing  great  wonder,  she  recited 
these  verses : 

A  spectacle  indeed  did  such-a-one  present  to  me;  a  neck,  by  Allah,  to  be  beaten 

with  shoes  ! 
O  thou  who  art  fascinated  by  my  cheek  and  my  figure,  dost  thou  thus  disguise 

thyself,  and  care  not ; 
Dyeing  disgracefully  thy  hoary  hairs,  and  concealing  them  for  fraudulent  purposes  ? 
Thou  goest  with  one  beard  and  returnest  with  another,  as  though  thou  wert  one 

of  the  puppet-men. 

And  the  broker,  when  he  heard  her  verses,  said  to  her,  By  Allah,  thou 
hast  spoken  truth.  The  merchant  who  had  bidden  for  her  asked,  What 
was  it  that  she  said?  So  the  broker  repeated  the  verses  to  him;  and  ho 
knew  that  he  was  in  fault,  and  gave  up  the  idea  of  purchasing  her.  Then 
another  merchant  advanced  and  said,  Ask  her  if  she  will  consent  to  be 
mine  for  the  sum  that  thou  hast  heard.  He  therefore  consulted  her  for 
him;  and  she  looked  at  him,  and  saw  that,  ho  was  one-eyed,  and  replied, 
This  man  is  one-eyed,  and  the  poet  hath  said  of  such  ;i  person, 

5 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 


ii  \\  m 


1 

•nil 


Scene  iu  the  slave  market. 

Keep  not  company  with  the  one-eyed  for  a  single  day  ;  but  beware  of  his  malignity 

and  falsehood. 
For  had  there  been  any  good  in  him,  God  had  not  caused  the  blindness  in  his  eye. 

The  broker  then  [pointing  to  another]  said  to  her,  Wilt  thou  be  sold  to  that 
merchant?  And  she  looked  at  him,  and,  seeing  that  he  was  a  short  man, 
with  beard  hanging  to  his  girdle,  she  answered,  This  is  he  of  whom  the 
poet  hath  said, 

I  have  a  friend  with  a  beard  which  God  hath  made  to  grow  to  a  useless  length. 
It  is  like  unto  one  of  the  nights  of  winter,  long,  and  dark,  and  cold. 

The  broker  therefore  said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  see  who  among  the 
persons  here  present  pleaseth  thee,  and  say  which  he  is,  that  I  may  sell 
thee  to  him.  So  she  looked  at  the  ring  of  merchants,  and  as  she  exam- 
ined their  physiognomies,  one  after  another,  her  eye  fell  upon  Ali  Shir. 
The  sight  of  him  occasioned  her  a  thousand  sighs,  and  her  heart  became 
enamored  of  him  ;  for  he  was  of  surprising  loveliness,  and  more  bland  than 
the  northern  zephyr ;  and  she  said,  O  broker,  I  will  not  be  sold  to  any  but 
to  this  my  master,  with  the  comely  face  and  surpassing  figure,  of  whom 
one  of  his  describers  hath  thus  said  : 
6 


THE  STORY  OF  AL1   SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD 

Tliey  displayed  thy  lovely  face,  and  then  blamed  the  person  who  was  tempted. 
It  they  had  desired  to  protect  me,  they  had  veiled  thy  beautiful  countenance. 

None,  then,  shall  possess  me  but  he  ;  for  his  cheek  is  smooth,  and  the  moist- 
ure of  his  mouth  is  like  the  fountain  of  Paradise,  a  cure  for  the  sick,  and 
his  charms  perplex  the  poet  and  the  prose-writer.  He  is  as  the  poet  hath 
said  of  him, 

His  saliva  is  like  wine;  and  his  breath  like  musk;  and  those  his  foreteeth  re- 
semble camphor. 

The  Guardian  of  Paradise  hath  seut  him  forth  from  his  abode  in  his  fear  that  the 
houries  might  be  tempted. 

Mankind  reproach  him  for  his  pride  ;  but  for  pride  the  full  moon  is  to  be  excused. 

The  person  with  the  curling  hair,  and  the  rosy  cheek,  and  the  enchanting 
glance,  of  whom  the  poet  hath  said  : 

Oft  a  fawn-like  person  hath  promised  me  a  meeting,  and  nay  heart  hath  been  rest- 
less and  mine  eye  expectant. 

His  eyelids  assured  me  of  the  truth  of  his  promise;  but  how  can  they,  languishing 
as  they  are,  fulfill  it? 

And  when  the  broker  heard  the  verses  that  she  recited  on  the  charms  of 
Ali  Shir,  he  wondered  at  her  eloquence,  as  well  as  at  the  splendor  of  her 
beauty.  But  her  owner  said  to  him,  Wonder  not  at  her  beauty,  that  put- 
teth  to  shame  the  sun  of  day,  nor  at  her  having  her  memory  stored  with 
the  elegant  effusions  of  the  poets  ;  for  she  also  reciteth  the  glorious  Koran 
according  to  the  seven  readings,  and  relateth  the  noble  traditions  as  authen- 
tically transmitted,  and  writeth  the  seven  different  hands,  and  knoweth  of 
the  sciences  what  the  very  learned  sage  knoweth  not,  and  her  hands  are 
better  than  gold  and  silver  ;  for  she  maketh  curtains  of  silk,  and  selleth 
them,  gaining  by  every  one  fifty  pieces  of  gold  ;  and  she  worketh  a  cur- 
tain in  eight  days.  So  the  broker  said,  O  the  good  fortune  of  him  in 
whose  house  this  damsel  shall  be,  and  who  includeth  her  among  his  choice 
treasures  !  Her  owner  then  said  to  him,  Sell  her  to  whomsoever  she 
chooseth. 

Accordingly,  the  broker  returned  to  Ali  Shir,  and,  having  kissed  his  hands, 
said,  O  my  master,  purchase  this  damsel  !  for  she  hath  made  choice  of  thee. 
And  he  described  her  to  him,  telling  him  what  she  knew,  and  said  to  him, 
Happy  will  be  thy  lot  if  thou  purchase  her ;  for  He  who  is  not  sparing  of 
his  gifts  hath  bestowed  her  upon  thee.  So  Ali  Shir  hung  down  his  head 
for  a  while  toward  the  ground,  laughing  at  his  case,  and  saying  within  him- 
self, I  am  to  the  present  hour  without  breakfast ;  but  I  am  ashamed  before  the 
merchants  to  say  that  I  have  no  money  wherewith  to  purchase  her.  And 
the  damsel  seeing  him  hanging  down  his  head,  said  to  the  broker,  Take 
me  by  the  hand  and  lead  me  to  him,  that  I  may  display  myself  to  him,  and 
excite  his  desire  to  possess  me  ;  for  I  will  not  be  sold  to  any  but  him.  The 
broker  therefore  took  her  and  stationed  her  before  Ali  Shir,  saying  to  him. 
What  is  thy  good  pleasure,  O  my  master?  But  he  returned  him  no  an- 
swer. So  the  damsel  said,  O  my  master,  and  beloved  of  my  heart,  where- 
fore wilt  thou  not  purchase  me  ?  Purchase  me  for  what  thou  wilt,  and  1 
will  be  a  means  of  good  fortune  to  thee.  And  he  raised  his  head  toward 
her,  and  said,  Is  a  person  to  be  made  by  force  to  purchase  ?  Thou  art  dear 
at  the  price  of  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  She  replied,  (J  my  muster,  pur- 
chase me  for  nine  hundred.  He  said,  No.  For  eight  hundred,  she  re- 
joined.    He  said,  No.     And  she  ceased  not  to  abate  the  price  until  she 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD 

said  to  him,  For  oue  hundred  pieces  of  gold.  But  he  said,  I  have  not  a 
hundred  complete.  And  she  laughed,  and  said  to  him,  How  much  dost 
thou  want  of  a  hundred  ?  He  answered,  I  have  not  a  hundred  nor  less 
than  a  hundred.  By  Allah,  I  possess  not  either  white  or  red,  either  a 
piece  of  silver  or  a  piece  of  gold.  So  see  for  thyself  some  other  desirous 
customer.  And  when  she  knew  that  he  had  nothing,  she  said  to  him, 
Take  my  hand,  as  though  thou  wouldst  examine  me  in  a  by-lane.  He 
therefore  did  so;  and  she  took  forth  from  her  pocket  a  purse  containing  a 
thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  said  to  him,  Weigh  out  from  it  nine  hundred 


Zumroud  giving  the  purse  of  yold  to  Ali  Slur. 


as  my  price,  and  retain  the  remaining  hundred  in  thy  possession,  as  it  will 
be  of  use  to  us. 

So  he  did  as  she  desired  him.     He  purchased  her  for  nine  hundred 
pieces  of  gold,  and  having  paid  her  price  from  that  purse,  repaired  with 
8 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIE  AND  ZDMROUD. 

her  to  the  house.  And  when  she  arrived  there,  she  found  that  the  house 
presented  plain,  clear  floors,  having  neither  furniture  nor  utensils  in  it. 
She  therefore  gave  him  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  saying  to  him,  Go  to  the 
market,  and  buy  for  us  with  three  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  furniture  and 
utensils  for  the  house.  And  he  did  so.  Then  she  said  to  him,  Buy  for  us 
food  and  beverage  with  three  pieces  of  gold.  And  he  did  this.  Next  she 
said  to  him,  Buy  for  us  a  piece  of  silk,  as  much  as  will  suffice  for  a  curtain, 
and  buy  gold  and  silver  thread,  and  silk  thread  of  seven  different  colors. 
And  this  also  he  did.  She  then  spread  the  furniture  in  the  house,  and 
lighted  the  candles,  and  sat  eating  and  drinking  with  him  ;  after  which 
they  embraced  each  other,  and  presented  the  spectacle  thus  described  by 
the  poet : 

Eyes  have  not  beheld  a  more  beautiful  sight  than  that  of  two  lovers  side  by  side, 
Embracing  each  other,  in  the  garments  of  content,  pillowing  themselves  with  wrist 

and  arm. 
When  hearts  have  become  united  together,  the  censurers  beat  upon  cold  iron. 
O  thou  who  reproacheth  the  lovers  for  their  passion,  canst  thou  reform  a  heart  that 

is  spoiled  ? 
If  iu  thy  life  one  person  delight  thee,  thou  hast  thy  desire  ;  then  live  with  that 

one. 

The  love  of  each  became  fixed  in  the  heart  of  the  other,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  the  damsel  took  the  curtain,  and  embroidered  it  with  the 


Zumroud  embioiderine 


colored  silks,  and  ornamented  it  with  the  gold  and  silver  thread.     She  work- 
ed a  border  to  it,  with  the  figures  of  birds,  and  represented  around  it  the 
figures  of  wild  beasts,  and  there  was  not  a  wild  beast  in  the  world  that  she 
\»  9 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

omitted  to  portray  upon  it.  She  continued  working  upon  it  for  eight  days  ; 
and  when  it  was  finished  she  cut  it  and  glazed  it,  and  then  gave  it  to  her 
master,  saying  to  him,  Repair  with  it  to  the  market,  and  sell  it  for  fifty 
pieces  of  gold  to  a  merchant,  and  beware  of  selling  it  to  any  one  passing 
along  the  street,  because  that  would  be  a  cause  of  separation  between  me 
and  thee  ;  for  we  have  enemies  who  are  not  unmindful  of  us.  And  he  re- 
plied, I  hear  and  obey.  He  repaired  with  it  to  the  market,  and  sold  it  to  a 
merchant  as  she  had  desired  him  ;  after  which  he  bought  another  piece  of 
silk,  together  with  the  silk  thread,  and  the  gold  and  silver  thread,  as  before, 
and  what  they  required  of  food,  and,  having  brought  these  things  to  her, 
gave  her  the  rest  of  the  money.  And  every  eight  days  she  gave  him  a 
curtain  to  sell  for  fifty  pieces  of  gold. 

Thus  she  continued  to  do  for  the  space  of  a  whole  year.  And  after  the 
expiration  of  the  year  he  went  to  the  market  with  the  curtain,  as  usual, 
and  gave  it  to  the  broker  ;  and  there  met  him  a  Christian,  who  offered  him 
sixty  pieces  of  gold.  He  refused  to  sell  it  to  him  ;  but  the  Christian  ceased 
not  to  increase  the  sum  until  he  offered  him  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and 
he  bribed  the  broker  with  ten  pieces  of  gold.  So  the  broker  returned  to 
Ali  Shir,  informed  him  of  the  price  that  had  been  offered,  and  made  use 
of  artifice  to  induce  him  to  sell  the  curtain  to  the  Christian  for  that  sum, 
saying  to  him,  O  my  master,  fear  not  this  Christian  ;  for  no  harm  shall  be- 
fall thee  from  him.  The  merchants  also  arose  and  urged  him.  So  he 
sold  it  to  the  Christian,  though  his  heart  was  full  of  fear,  and,  having  taken 
the  price,  returned  to  the  house.  But  he  found  the  Christian  walking  be- 
hind him  ;  and  he  said,  O  Christian,  wherefore  art  thou  walking  behind 
me  ?  O  my  master,  he  anwered,  I  have  a  want  to  accomplish  at  the  up- 
per end  of  the  street  :  may  God  never  cause  tJiee  to  have  any  want !  And 
Ali  Shir  arrived  not  at  his  abode  without  the  Christian's  overtaking  him  : 
so  he  said  to  him,  O  accursed,  wherefore  dost  thou  follow  me  whitherso- 
ever I  go  ?  The  Christian  replied,  O  my  master,  give  me  a  draught  of 
water,  for  I  am  thirsty,  and  thou  wilt  receive  thy  recompense  from  God, 
whose  name  be  exalted  !  Ali  Shir  therefore  said  within  himself,  This  is  a 
tributary,  and  he  hath  demanded  of  me  a  draught  of  water:  so  by  Allah 
I  will  not  disappoint  him. 

Then  he  entered  the  house,  and  took  a  mug  of  water  ;  and  his  slave 
girl  Zumroud,  seeing  him,  said  to  him,  O  my  beloved,  hast  thou  sold  the 
curtain  ?  He  answered,  Yes.  And  she  said,  To  a  merchant  or  a  passen- 
ger ?  For  my  heart  is  impressed  with  a  presentiment  of  separation.  He 
answered,  I  sold  it  not  but  to  a  merchant.  But  she  said,  Acquaint  me  with 
the  truth  of  the  matter,  that  I  may  provide  against  my  case.  And  where- 
fore, she  added,  tookest  thou  the  mug  of  water?  To  give  drink  to  the 
broker,  he  answered.  And  she  exclaimed,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power 
but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great !  and  recited  these  two  verses : 

O  thou  who  seekest  separation,  act  leisurely,  and  let  not  the  embrace  of  the  be- 
loved deceive  thee ! 

Act  leisurely  ;  for  the  nature  of  fortune  is  treacherous,  and  the  end  of  every  union 
is  disjunction. 

He  then  went  forth  with  the  mug,  and  found  the  Christian  within  the  pas- 
sage of  the  house.  So  he  said,  Hast  thou  come  in  hither,  O  dog?  How 
is  it  that  thou  enterest  my  abode  without  my  permission  ?  O  my  master, 
he  answered,  there  is  no  difference  between  the  door  and  the  passage  ; 

1U 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

and  I  shall  not  move  from  this  my  place  but  to  go  forth :  yet  thanks  are 
due  to  thee  for  bounty  and  kindness,  and  liberality  and  obliging  conduct. 
Then  he  took  the  mug  of  water,  and  drank  what  it  contained  ;  after  which 
he  handed  it  to  Ali  Shir,  who  took  it,  and  expected  that,  he  would  rise; 
but  he  rose  not.  So  Ali  Shir  said  to  him,  Wherefore  dost  thou  not  arise 
and  go  thy  way  ?  The  Christian  answered,  O  my  lord,  be  not  of  those 
who  confer  favor  and  then  make  it  a  subject  of  reproach,  nor  of  those  of 
whom  the  poet  hath  said, 

They  are  gone  who,  if  thou  stoodest  at  their  door,  would  give  the  most  generous 

aid  at  thy  petition  ; 
And  if  thou  stoodest  at  the  door  of  any  after  them,  they  would  reproach  thee  for  a 

draught  of  water  bestowed  on  thee. 

O  ray  lord,  he  added,  I  have  drank ;  but  I  desire  of  thee  that  thou  give  me 
to  eat  of  any  thing  that  is  in  the  house ;  it  will  be  equal  to  me  if  it  be  a 
morsel  of  bread  or  a  biscuit  and  an  onion.  Ali  Shir  replied,  Arise,  without 
contention.     There  is  nothing  in  the  house.     But  the  Christian  rejoined, 

0  my  lord,  if  there  be  nothing  in  the  house,  take  these  hundred  pieces  of 
gold  and  bring  us  something  from  the  market,  though  it  be  but  a  single  cake 
of  bread,  that  the  bond  of  bread  and  salt  may  be  established  between  me 
and  thee.     So  Ali  Shir  said  within  himself,  Verily  this  Christian  is  mad  : 

1  will  therefore  take  of  him  the  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and  bring  him 
something  worth  two  pieces  of  silver,  and  laugh  at  him.  And  the  Chris- 
tian said  to  him,  O  my  master,  I  only  desire  something  that  will  banish 
hunger,  though  it  be  but  a  stale  cake  of  bread  and  an  onion  ;  for  the  best 
of  provision  is  that  which  dispelleth  hunger ;  not  rich  food  ;  and  how  ex- 
cellent is  the  saying  of  the  poet : 

Hunger  is  banished  by  a  stale   cake   of  bread.     Why,  then,  are  my  grief  and 

troubles  so  great  ! 
Death  is  most  just,  since  it  acteth  impartially  both  to  the  caliph  and  the  miserable 

pauper. 

Ali  Shir  therefore  said  to  him,  Wait  here  while  I  lock  the  saloon  and 
bring  thee  something  from  the  market.  And  the  Christian  replied,  I  hear 
and  obey.  Then  Ali  Shir  went  away  from  him,  and  locked  the  saloon, 
putting  a  padlock  upon  it;  and  taking  the  key  with  him,  he  repaired  to 
the  market,  bought  some  fried  cheese,  and  honey,  and  bananas,  and  bread, 
and  brought  them  to  him.  And  when  the  Christian  saw  this,  he  said,  O 
my  lord,  this  is  a  great  quantity,  sufficient  for  ten  men,  and  I  am  alone  ; 
poihaps,  then,  thou  wilt  eat  with  me.  Ali  Shir  replied,  Eat  thou  alone; 
for  I  am  satiated.  But  the  Christian  rejoined,  O  my  lord,  the  sages 
have  said,  He  who  eateth  not  with  his  guest  is  base-born.  So  when  Ali 
Shir  heard  these  words,  he  sat  and  ate  with  him  a  little ;  and  was  about 
to  take  up  his  hand,  when  the  Christian  took  a  banana,  peeled  it,  and  di- 
vided it  in  two,  and  put  into  one  half  of  it  some  refined  bhang,  mixed  with 
opium,  a  dram  of  which  would  make  an  elephant  to  fall  down.  Then  he 
dipped  this  half  of  the  banana  into  the  honey,  and  said  to  Ali  Shir,  O  my 
lord,  by  thy  religion  thou  shalt  take  this.  And  Ali  Shir  was  ashamed  to 
make  him  swear  falsely  :  he  therefore  took  it  from  him,  and  swallowed  it, 
and  scarcely  had  it  settled  in  his  stomach  when  his  head  fell  before  his  feet, 
and  he  became  as  though  he  had  been  a  year  asleep. 

So  when  the  Christian  beheld  this,  he  rose  upon  his  feet,  as  though  he 
were  a  bald  wolf,  or  empowered  fate  ;  he  took  with  him  the  kev  of  the 

II 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 


saloon,  and,  leaving  Ali  Shir 
prostrate,  went  running  to 
his  brother,  and  acquaint- 
ed him  with  what  he  had 
done.  And  the  cause  of 
his  conduct  was  this.  The 
brother  of  this  Christian 
was  the  decrepit  old  man 
who  had  desired  to  pur- 
chase Zumroud  for  a  thou- 
sand pieces  of  gold,  and  she 
accepted  him  not,  but  lam- 
pooned him  with  verses. 
He  was  an  infidel  in  his 
heart,  but  a  Mohammedan 
externally,  and  he  named 
elfRas 


The  broker  rauning  away  with  the  key  ot  Ah 
Hliir's  saloon. 

himself  Rashideddin.  And 
when  Zumroud  lampooned  him,  and  accepted  him  not  as  her  master,  he 
complained  to  his  brother,  the  Christian,  who  employed  this  stratagem  to 
take  her  from  her  master  Ali  Shir,  and  whose  name  was  Barsum  ;  and  he 
replied,  Grieve  not  on  account  of  this  affair  ;  for  I  will  employ  a  stratagem 
to  take  her  without  a  piece  of  silver  or  of  gold :  because  he  was  a  skillful, 
crafty,  wicked  magician.  Then  he  ceased  not  to  devise  plots  and  strata- 
gems until  he  practiced  the  stratagem  which  we  have  described  ;  and  hav- 
ing taken  the  key,  he  repaired  to  his  brother  and  acquainted  him  with  what 
had  happened. 

Upon  this  Rashideddin  mounted  his  mule,  took  his  young  men,  and  re- 
paired with  his  brother  to  the  house  of  Ali  Shir,  taking  with  him  also  a 
purse  containing  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  that  if  the  judge  met  him  he 
might  give  it  to  him.  He  opened  the  saloon,  and  the  men  who  were  with 
him  rushed  upon  Zumroud,  and  took  her  by  force,  threatening  her  with 
slaughter  if  she  should  speak ;  but  the  house  they  left  as  they  found  it, 
taking  nothing  from  it,  and  they  left  Ali  Shir  lying  in  the  passage.  Then 
they  closed  the  door  upon  him,  having  put  the  key  of  the  saloon  by  his 
side  ;  and  the  Christian  Rashideddin  took  the  damsel  to  his  pavilion,  where 
he  put  her  among  his  female  slaves  and  concubines,  and  said  to  her,  O  im- 
pudent wench,  I  am  the  sheikh  whom  thou  wouldst  not  accept  as  thy  mas- 
ter, and  whom  thou  lampoonedst,  and  I  have  taken  thee  without  expend- 
ing a  piece  of  silver  or  of  gold.  She  replied,  with  her  eyes  filled  with 
tears,  God  will  sufficiently  requite  thee,  O  wicked  old  man,  for  thy  separa- 
ting me  from  my  master.  O  impudent  wench !  he  rejoined,  O  thou  in- 
flamed with  love  !  thou  shalt  see  what  torture  I  will  inflict  upon  thee.  By 
my  faith,  if  thou  do  not  comply  with  my  command,  and  adopt  my  religion, 
I  will  inflict  upon  thee  varieties  of  torture  !  But  she  said,  If  thou  cut  my 
flesh  in  pieces,  1  will  not  abandon  the  Mohammedan  faith  :  and  perhaps 
God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  will  send  me  speedy  relief;  for  He  is  able 
to  do  whatsoever  He  willeth ;  and  the  wise  have  said,  An  evil  in  the  body 
rather  than  an  evil  in  religion.  And  upon  this  he  called  out  to  the  eunuchs 
and  female  slaves,  saying  to  them,  Throw  her  down  !  So  they  threw  her 
down.  And  he  ceased  not  to  inflict  upon  her  cruel  blows  while  she  called 
for  aid  ;  but  she  was  not  aided.  Then  she  abstained  from  imploring  aid, 
12 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

aad  began  to  say,  God  is  my  sufficiency,  and  He  is  indeed  sufficient!  until 
her  voice  failed,  and  her  groaning  became  inaudible.  And  when  his  heart 
was  satisfied  with  punishing  her,  he  said  to  the  eunuchs,  Drag  her  by  her 
feet,  and  throw  her  into  the  kitchen,  and  give  her  nothing  to  eat.  The  ac- 
cursed wretch  then  passed  that  night,  and  on  the  following  morning  he  de- 
sired that  she  should  be  brought,  and  he  repeated  the  beating;  after  which 
ho  ordered  the  eunuchs  to  throw  her  in  her  place  ;  and  they  did  so.  And 
when  the  pain  occasioned  by  the  beating  became  alleviated,  she  said,  There 
is  no  deity  but  God  ;  Mohammed  is  God's  Apostle  !  God  is  my  sufficiency, 
and  excellent  is  the  Guardian  !  Then  she  implored  aid  of  our  Lord  Mo- 
hammed, may  God  favor  and  preserve  him  !     Such  was  her  case. 

Now  as  to  Ali  Shir,  he  continued  lying  asleep  until  the  following  day, 
when  the  intoxication  occasioned  by  the  bhang  quitted  his  head,  and  he 
opened  his  eyes  and  called  out,  saying,  O  Zumroud  !  But  no  one  answer- 
ed him.  Ho  therefore  entered  the  saloon,  and  found  the  interior  desolate, 
and  the  place  of  visitation  distant:  so  he  knew  that  this  event  had  not  hap- 
pened unto  him  but  through  the  Christian ;  and  he  yearned,  and  wept,  and 
sighed,  and  complained,  and  recited  verses.  He  repented  when  repentance 
was  of  no  avail,  weeping  and  tearing  his  clothes ;  and  he  took  two  stones 
and  went  round  about  the  city,  beating  his  bosom  with  them,  and  crying, 
O  Zumroud!  The  children  therefore  surrounded  him,  and  said,  A  mad- 
man !  A  madman  !  And  every  one  who  knew  him  wept  for  him,  and 
said,  This  is  such-a-one.  What  hath  befallen  him?  Thus  he  continued 
to  do  until  the  close  of  the  day;  and  when  the  darkness  of  night  came  over 
him,  he  slept  in  one  of  the  by-streets  until  the  morning.  And  he  went 
round  about  the  city  again  with  the  stones  till  the  evening,  when  he  returned 
to  his  saloon  to  pass  the  night  there. 

Then  a  female  neighbor  of  his,  who  was  an  old  woman,  one  of  the  vir- 
tuous, said  to  him,  O  my  son,  may  God  preserve  thee  !  When  becamest 
thou  mad  ?     And  he  answered  her  with  these  two  verses : 

They  said,  Thou  ravest  upon  the  person  thou  lovest.     And  I  replied,  The  sweets 

of  life  are  only  for  the  mad. 
Drop  the  subject  of  my  madness,  and  bring  her  upon  whom  I  rave.     If  she  cure 

my  maduess,  do  not  blame  me. 

So  his  neighbor,  the  old  woman,  knew  that  he  was  a  lover  separated  from 
his  beloved ;  and  she  said,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the 
High,  the  Great!  O  my  son,  I  desire  of  thee  that  thou  relate  to  me  the 
story  of  thy  calamity.  Perhaps  God  may  enable  me  to  assist  thee  to 
overcome  it,  with  his  good  pleasure.  He  therefore  told  her  all  that  had 
befallen  him  with  Barsum  the  Christian,  the  brother  of  the  magician  who 
called  himself  Rashideddin ;  and  when  she  knew  that,  she  said  to  him,  O 
my  son,  verily  thou  art  excused.  Then  she  poured  forth  tears,  and  recited 
these  two  verses  : 

Sufficient  is  the  torment  of  lovers  in  this  world.     By  Allah,  hell  shall  not  torment 

them  after  it ! 
For  they  have  perished  of  their  passion,  and  chastely  concealed  it ;  and  the  truth 

of  this  the  tradition  attesteth. 

And  after  she  had  finished  these  verses,  she  said  to  him,  O  my  son.  arise 
now,  and  buy  a  crate,  like  the  crates  used  by  the  goldsmiths,  ami  buy 
bracelets,  and  seal-rings,  and  ear-rings,  and  other  ornaments  suited  to 
women  ;  and  be  not  sparine  of  money.     Put  all  those  things  into  the  crate. 

13 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

then  bring  the  crate,  and  I  will  put  it  on  my  head,  as  a  female  broker,  and 
I  will  go  about  and  search  for  her  in  the  houses  until  I  obtain  tidings  of  her, 
if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  ! 

Ali  Shir  rejoiced  at  her  words,  and  kissed  her  hands.  He  then  went 
quickly  and  brought  her  what  she  desired  ;  and  when  the  things  were 
made  ready  for  her,  she  arose  and  attired  herself  in  a  patched  gown,  put 
over  her  head  a  honey-colored  kerchief,  and,  taking  in  her  hand  a  walking- 
staff,  bore  the  crate  about  through  the  by-lanes,  and  to  the  houses,  and 


The  old  woman  with  the  crate. 

ceased  not  to  go  about  from  place  to  place,  and  from  quarter  to  quarter,  and 
from  by-street  to  by-street,  until  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  guided 
her  to  the  pavilion  of  the  accursed  Rashideddin  the  Christian,  within  which 
she  heard  a  groaning.  So  she  knocked  at  the  door;  whereupon  a  slave 
girl  came  down  and  opened  to  her  the  door,  and  saluted  her.  And  the  old 
woman  said  to  her,  I  have  with  me  these  trifles  for  sale.  Is  there  among 
you  any  one  who  will  buy  aught  of  them  ?  The  girl  answered  her,  Yes ; 
and  she  took  her  into  the  house  and  seated  her.  The  female  slaves 
14 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

then  seated  themselves  around  her,  and  each  of  them  took  something  from 
her ;  and  the  old  woman  began  to  address  them  with  courtesy,  and  to  make 
the  prices  of  the  goods  easy  to  them  ;  so  that  they  were  delighted  with  her, 
on  account  of  her  kindness  and  the  gentleness  of  her  speech.  Meanwhile, 
she  looked  round  narrowly  at  the  different  quarters  of  the  place,  to  dis- 
cover the  female  whose  groaning  she  had  heard,  and  her  eye  fell  upon  her  : 
so  she  treated  the  female  slaves  with  additional  favor  and  kindness ;  and, 
looking  at  the  damsel  whom  she  had  heard  groaning,  she  found  her  to  be 
Zumroud,  laid  prostrate.  She  recognized  her,  and  wept,  and  said  to  the 
female  slaves,  O  my  children,  wherefore  is  this  damsel  in  this  condition  ? 
And  they  related  to  her  the  whole  story,  adding,  This  affair  is  not  of  our 
choice  ;  but  our  master  commanded  us  to  do  thus  ;  and  he  is  now  on  a 
journey.  And  she  said,  O  my  children,  1  desire  of  you  a  favor,  which  is, 
that  ye  loose  this  poor  damsel  from  her  bonds,  and  leave  her  so  until  ye 
know  of  the  return  of  your  master,  when  ye  shall  bind  her  again  as  she 
was  ;  and  ye  will  gain  a  recompense  from  the  Lord  of  all  creatures.  They 
replied,  We  hear  and  obey.  And  they  loosed  her,  and  fed  her,  and  gave 
her  to  drink.  The  old  woman  then  said,  Would  that  my  leg  had  broken, 
and  that  I  had  not  entered  your  abode  !  And  after  that  she  went  to  Zum- 
roud, and  said  to  her,  O  my  daughter,  God  preserve  thee  !  God  will  dis- 
pel from  thee  thine  affliction.  And  she  told  her  that  she  had  come  from 
her  master  Ali  Shir,  and  made  an  agreement  with  her  that  she  (Zumroud) 
should,  in  the  following  night,  listen  for  a  sound ;  saying,  Thy  master  will 
come  to  thee  and  stand  by  the  stone  seat  of  the  pavilion,  and  will  whistle  to 
thee ;  and  when  thou  hearest  him,  do  thou  whistle  to  him,  and  let  thyself 
down  to  him  by  a  rope,  and  he  will  take  thee  and  go.  So  the  damsel 
thanked  her  for  this. 

The  old  woman  then  went  forth,  and,  returning  to  Ali  Shir,  informed 
him  of  what  she  had  done,  and  said  to  him,  Repair  this  next  night,  at  mid- 
night, to  such  a  quarter ;  for  the  house  of  the  accursed  is  there,  and  its  ap- 
pearance is  of  such  and  such  a  description.  Station  thyself  beneath  his  pa- 
vilion and  whistle  :  she  will  thereupon  let  herself  down  to  thee,  aud  do 
thou  take  her  and  depart  whither  thou  wilt.  He  therefore  thanked  her 
for  this ;  and  having  waited  till  the  night  became  dark,  and  the  appointed 
time  arrived,  he  went  to  that  quarter  which  she  had  described  to  him,  where 
he  saw  the  pavilion,  and  he  knew  it.  And  he  seated  himself  upon  a  bench 
beneath  it;  but  sleep  overcame  him,  and  he  slept.  Glory  be  to  Him  who 
sleepeth  not !  For  a  long  time  he  had  not  slept,  from  the  ecstasy  of  his 
passion  :  so  he  became  like  one  intoxicated. 

And  while  he  was  asleep,  lo,  a  certain  robber  came  forth  that  night,  and 
went  about  the  skirts  of  the  city  to  steal  something;  and  destiny  cast  him 
beneath  the  pavilion  of  that  Christian.  So  he  went  around  it;  but  found 
no  way  of  ascending  and  entering  it;  and  he  continued  walking  round  it 
until  he  came  to  the  bench,  when  he  beheld  Ali  Shir  asleep.  And  he  took 
his  turban ;  and  when  he  had  done  so,  immediately  Zumroud  looked  forth, 
and,  seeing  him  standing  in  the  dark,  imagined  him  to  be  her  master.  She 
therefore  whistled  to  him,  and  the  robber  whistled  to  her ;  and  she  let  her- 
self down  to  him  by  the  rope,  having  with  her  a  pair  of  saddle-bags  full  of 
gold.  So  when  the  robber  saw  this,  he  said  within  himself.  This  is  no 
other  than  a  wonderful  thing,  occasioned  by  an  extraordinary  cause.  He 
then  took  up  the  saddle-bagS,  and  took  Zumroud  upon  his  shoulders,  and 

15 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 


Zuuiroud  descending  from  the  window. 


went  away  with  both  like  the  blinding  lightning ;  whereupon  the  dam- 
sel said  to  him,  The  old  woman  told  me  that  thou  wast  infirm  on  my  ac- 
count ;  but  lo,  thou  art  stronger  than  the  horse.  And  he  returned  her  no 
answer.  So  she  felt  his  face,  and  found  that  his  beard  was  like  the  broom 
of  the  public  bath  ;  as  though  he  were  a  hog  that  had  swallowed  fealhers, 
and  their  down  had  come  forth  from  his  throat.  And  she  was  terrified  at 
him,  and  said  to  him,  What  art  thou  ?  He  answered  her,  O  wench,  1  am 
the  sharper  Jawan  the  Kurd,  of  the  gang  of  Ahmad  El-Denef :  we  are 
forty  sharpers,  all  of  whom  will  this  night  receive  thee  as  their  slave.  And 
when  she  heard  his  words,  she  wept,  and  slapped  her  face,  knowing  that 
fate  had  overcome  her,  and  that  she  had  no  resource  but  that  of  resignation 
to  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  She  therefore  endured  with 
patience,  and  committed  herself  to  the  disposal  of  God  (whose  name  be  ex- 
silted  !),  and  said,  There  is  no  deity  but  God  !  Each  time  that  we  are  de- 
livered from  anxiety  we  fall  into  greater  anxiety  ! 
10 


THE  STOHY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

Now  the  cause  of  Jawan's  coming  to  the  place  above  mentioned  was 
this.  He  had  said  to  Ahmad  El-Denef,  O  sharper,  I  entered  this  place 
before  the  present  time,  and  know  a  cavern  without  the  town,  affording 
room  for  forty  persons ;  and  I  desire  to  go  before  you  to  it,  and  to  place  my 
mother  in  that  cavern.  Then  I  will  return  to  the  city,  and  steal  from  it 
something  for  your  luck,  and  keep  it  for  you  until  ye  come  ;  so  your  enter- 
tainment on  that  day  shall  be  of  my  supplying.  And  Ahmad  El-Denef  re- 
plied, Do  what  thou  desirest.  Accordingly,  he  went  before  them  to  that 
place,  and  put  his  mother  in  the  cavern  ;  and  when  he  went  forth  from  it, 
he  found  a  trooper  lying  asleep,  with  a  horse  picketed  by  him  :  so  he  slaugh- 
tered him,  and  took  his  clothes,  and  his  horse  and  arms,  and  hid  them  in 
the  cavern  with  his  mother,  picketing  the  horse  there.  He  then  returned 
to  the  city,  and  walked  on  till  he  came  to  the  pavilion  of  the  Christian, 
where  he  did  what  we  have  described. 

He  ran  on  with  the  damsel  without  stopping  until  he  deposited  her  with 
his  mother,  to  whom  he  said,  Take  care  of  her  till  I  return  to  thee  in  the 
morning.  And  having  said  this,  he  departed.  So  Zumroud  said  within 
herself,  Why  am  I  thus  careless  about  liberating  myself  by  some  strata- 
gem ?  Wherefore  should  I  wait  until  these  forty  men  arrive  ?  Then  she 
looked  toward  the  old  woman,  the  mother  of  Jawan  the  Kurd,  and  said  to 
her,  O  my  aunt,  wilt  thou  not  arise  and  go  with  me  without  the  cavern,  that 
I  may  dress  thy  hair  in  the  sun?  Yea,  by  Allah,  O  my  daughter,  an- 
swered the  old  woman  ;  for  of  a  long  time  I  have  been  far  from  the  public 
bath  ;  these  hogs  incessantly  taking  me  about  from  place  to  place.  So 
Zumroud  went  forth  with  her,  and  continued  the  operation  until  the  old 
woman  fell  asleep;  whereupon  Zumroud  arose,  and  clad  herself  in  the 
clothes  of  the  trooper  whom  Jawan  the  Kurd  had  killed,  and,  having  bound 
his  sword  at  her  waist,  and  put  on  his  turban,  so  that  she  appeared  like  a 
man,  mounted  the  horse,  and  took  the  saddle-bags  full  of  gold  with  her, 
saying,  O  kind  Protector,  protect  me,  I  conjure  Thee  by  the  dignity  of 
Mohammed  ;  God  favor  and  preserve  him  !  Then  she  said  within  herself, 
If  I  go  to  the  city,  perhaps  some  one  of  the  family  of  the  trooper  may  see 
me,  and  no  good  will  happen  unto  me.  So  she  refrained  from  entering  the 
city,  and  proceeded  over  the  bare  desert,  with  the  saddle-bags  and  the 
horse,  eating  of  the  herbs  of  the  earth,  and  feeding  the  horse  of  the  same, 
and  drinking  and  giving  him  to  drink  of  the  waters  of  the  rivers,  for  the 
space  of  ten  days. 

And  on  the  eleventh  day  she  approached  a  pleasant  and  secure  city,  es- 
tablished in  prosperity  :  the  winter  had  departed  from  it  with  its  cold,  and 
the  spring  had  come  with  its  flowers  and  its  roses  ;  its  flowers  were  gay  and 
charming  to  the  sight,  its  rivers  were  flowing,  and  its  birds  were  warbling. 
Now  when  she  came  to  this  city,  and  approached  its  gate,  she  found  there 
the  troops,  and  the  emirs,  and  the  chiefs  of  its  inhabitants ;  and  she  won- 
dered when  she  saw  them  thus  collected,  and  said  within  herself,  The 
people  of  this  city  are  all  assembled  at  its  gate,  and  there  must  be  some 
cause  for  this.  She  then  proceeded  toward  them  ;  and  when  she  drew 
near  to  them,  the  troops  hastened  forward  to  meet  her,  and,  having  alight- 
ed, kissed  the  ground  before  her,  and  said,  God  aid  thee,  O  our  lord  I  lie  sul- 
tan !  The  great  officers  arranged  themselves  in  ranks  before  her,  and  the 
troops  ranged  the  people  in  order,  and  exclaimed,  God  aid  thee,  and  make 
thine  arrival  a  blessing  to  the  Mohammedans,  O  sultan  of  all   creatures  ! 

17 


THE  STORY  OF  AL1  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 


Zumroud's  escape  with  the  trooper's  horse. 


God  establish  thee,  O  king  of  the  age.  and  incomparable  one  of  the  age  and 
time  !  So  Zumroud  said  to  them,  What  is  your  story,  O  ye  people  of  this 
city  ?  The  chamberlain  answered,  Verily  he  who  is  not  sparing  of  his  ben- 
efits hath  bestowed  favor  upon  thee,  and  made  thee  sultan  over  this  city, 
and  ruler  over  the  necks  of  all  whom  it  containeth.  Know  that  it  is  the 
custom  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  city,  when  their  king  dieth,  and  hath  left 
no  son,  for  the  troops  to  go  forth  without  the  city,  and  to  remain  three 
days ;  and  whatsoever  man  arriveth  by  the  way  by  which  thou  hast  come, 
they  make  him  sultan  over  them.  And  praise  be  to  God  who  hath  direct- 
ed unto  us  a  man  of  the  sous  of  the  Turks,  of  comely  countenance ;  for 
had  one  of  less  consideration  than  thyself  come  unto  us  he  had  been  sultan. 
Now  Zumroud  was  a  person  of  judgment  in  all  her  actions  ;  so  she  said, 
Think  me  not  one  of  the  common  people  among  the  Turks :  nay,  I  am  of 
the  sons  of  the  great;  but  I  was  incensed  against  my  family,  and  went  forth 
from  them  and  left  them  ;  aud  look  ye  at  this  pair  of  saddle-bags  full  of  gold 
that  I  have  brought  beneath  me,  to  give  alms  out  of  it  to  the  poor  and  needy  all 
the  way.  And  on  hearing  this,  they  prayed  for  her,  and  were  extremely  re- 
joiced at  her  arrival ;  and  she  was  also  pleased  with  them.  She  then  said 
within  herself,  Since  I  have  attained  to  this,  perhaps  God  will  unite  me 
with  my  master  in  this  place  ;  for  He  is  able  to  do  whatsoever  He  willeth  ! 
And  she  proceeded,  accompanied  by  the  troops,  until  they  entered  the 
city,  when  the  troops  alighted  and  walked  before  her  till  they  had  conduct- 
ed her  iuto  the  palace.  She  there  alighted,  and  the  emirs  and  grandees 
conveyed  her,  with  their  hands  beneath  her  armpits,  and  seated  her  upon 
the  throne.  Then  all  of  them  kissed  the  ground  before  her.  And  when 
18 


THE  STORY  OF  AL1  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

she  was  seated  on  the  throne,  she  gave  orders  to  open  the  treasuries ; 
and  they  were  opened ;  and  she  bestowed  presents  upon  all  the  troops ; 
whereupon  they  offered  up  prayers  for  the  continuance  of  her  reign;  and 
the  people,  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  provinces,  acknowledged  her  au- 
thority. 

She  remained  thus  for  some  time,  commanding  and  forbidding,  and  the 
hearts  of  the  people  were  impressed  with  exceeding  respect  for  her,  on 
account  of  her  generosity,  and  her  abstinence  from  what  is  forbidden.  She 
abolished  the  custom-taxes,  liberated  the  persons  confined  in  the  prisons, 
and  redressed  the  grievances  of  her  subjects  ;  so  that  all  the  people  loved 
her.  But  whenever  she  thought  upon  her  master,  she  wept,  and  suppli- 
cated God  to  effect  her  union  with  him.  And  thinking  upon  him  one  night, 
and  upon  her  days  that  had  passed,  she  poured  forth  tears,  aud  recited 
these  two  verses : 

My  desire  for  thee,  though  protracted,  is  fresh ;  and  the  tears  have  wounded  my 

eye,  and  increase. 
When  I  weep,  I  weep  from  the  pain  of  ardent  love  ;  for  separation  to  the  lover  is 

a  fierce  affliction. 

And  when  she  had  ended  these  verses,  she  wiped  away  her  tears  and 
went  up  into  the  pavilion.  Then  she  entered  the  harem,  and  assigned  sep- 
arate apartments  for  the  female  slaves  and  concubines,  appointing  them  al- 
lowances and  supplies,  and  asserted  that  she  desired  to  remain  in  a  place 
alone,  for  the  purpose  of  assiduously  employing  herself  in  devotion ;  and 
she  betook  herself  to  fasting  and  praying,  so  that  the  emirs  said,  Verily 
this  sultan  is  of  exceeding  piety.  She  retained  of  the  eunuchs  only  two 
lads  to  serve  her. 

For  a  year  she  sat  upon  the  throne  of  her  kingdom,  and  heard  no  tidings 
of  her  master,  nor  discovered  any  trace  of  him.  And  upon  this  she  was 
disquieted,  and  her  disquietude  becoming  excessive,  she  summoned  the 
viziers  and  chamberlains,  and  commanded  them  to  bring  to  her  the  geom- 
etricians and  builders,  and  gave  orders  that  they  should  make  for  her,  be- 
neath the  palace,  a  horse-course  a  league  in  length  and  a  league  in  breadth. 
So  they  did  as  she  commanded  them  in  the  shortest  time,  and  the  horse- 
course  was  agreeable  to  her  desire.  And  when  it  was  finished  she  de- 
scended into  it.  A  great  pavilion  was  pitched  for  her  in  it,  chairs  were 
arranged  for  the  emirs,  and  she  gave  orders  to  spread  in  that  horse-course 
a  long  table  covered  with  all  kinds  of  rich  viands;  and  they  did  as  she  com- 
manded. Then  she  ordered  the  lords  of  the  empire  to  eat ;  and  they  ate  ; 
after  which  she  said  to  the  emirs,  I  desire,  when  the  new  month  com- 
menceth,  that  ye  do  thus,  and  proclaim  in  the  city  that  no  one  shall  open 
his  shop,  but  that  all  the  people  shall  come  and  eat  of  the  king's  banquet; 
and  whosoever  of  them  acteth  contrary  to  this  order  shall  be  hanged  at  the 
door  of  his  house.  So  when  the  new  month  commenced,  they  did  as  she 
commanded  them  ;  and  they  continued  to  observe  this  custom  until  the  com- 
mencement of  the  first  month  of  the  second  year;  when  Zumroud  de- 
scended into  the  horse-course,  and  the  crier  proclaimed,  O  all  ye  compa- 
nies of  men,  whosoever  openeth  his  shop,  or  his  magazine,  or  his  house 
shall  be  hanged  immediately  at  the  door  of  his  abode  ;  for  it  is  incumbent 
on  you  that  ye  all  come  to  eat  of  the  king's  banquet !  And  when  the  proc- 
lamation was  ended,  the  table  having  been  prepared,  the  people  came  in 
companies,  and  she  ordered  them  to  seat  themselves  at  the  table,  to  eat 

ID 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

until  they  were  satisfied  of  all  the  dishes.  Accordingly,  they  sat  and  ate 
as  she  had  commanded  them,  while  she  sat  upon  the  throne  of  her  king- 
dom looking  at  them  ;  and  every  one  at  the  table  said  within  himself,  The 
king  is  looking  at  none  but  me.  They  continued  eating,  and  the  emirs  said 
to  the  people,  Eat  ye,  and  be  not  ashamed ;  for  the  king  liketh  your  doing 
so.  They  therefore  ate  until  they  were  satisfied,  and  departed  praying  for 
the  king  ;  and  some  of  them  said  to  others,  In  our  lives  we  have  not  seen 
a  sultan  that  loveth  the  poor  like  this  sultan.  They  prayed  for  length  of 
life  for  her;  and  she  returned  to  her  palace,  full  of  joy  at  the  plan  which 
she  had  devised,  and  said  within  herself,  If  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !),  by  this  means  I  shall  obtain  tidings  of  my  master  Ali 
Shir. 

And  when  the  second  month  commenced,  she  did  the  same,  as  usual. 
They  prepared  the  table,  and  Zumroud  descended  and  seated  herself  upon 
her  throne,  and  ordered  the  people  to  sit  and  eat.  And  while  she  was 
sitting  at  the  head  of  the  table,  and  the  people  were  seating  themselves  at 
it,  company  after  company,  and  person  after  person,  her  eye  fell  upon 
Barsurn  the  Christian,  who  had  bought  the  curtain  of  her  master;  and  she 
knew  him,  and  said,  This  is  the  commencement  of  the  dispelling  of  my 
affliction,  and  the  attainment  of  my  desire.  Then  Barsum  advanced,  and 
seated  himself  among  the  people  to  eat ;  and  he  looked  at  a  dish  of  rice 
sweetened  with  sugar  sprinkled  over  it ;  but  it  was  far  from  him  ;  so  he 
pressed  toward  it,  and,  stretching  forth  his  hand  to  it,  reached  it  and  put 
it  before  him.  Upon  this  a  man  by  his  side  said  to  him,  Why  dost  thou 
not  eat  of  that  which  is  before  thee  ?  Is  not  this  a  disgrace  to  thee  ? 
How  is  it  that  thou  stretchest  forth  thy  hand  to  a  thing  that  is  distant  from 
thee  ?  Art  thou  not  ashamed?  But  Barsum  replied,  I  will  eat  of  none 
but  it.  So  the  man  rejoined,  Eat;  may  God  not  give  thee  enjoyment  in 
it!  And  a  man  who  was  a  drunkard  said,  Let  him  eat  of  it,  that  I  too  may 
eat  with  him.  The  man  before  mentioned,  however,  said  to  him,  O  most 
ill-omened  of  drunkards,  this  is  not  your  food,  but  it  is  the  food  of  the  emirs  ; 
therefore  leave  it,  that  it  may  return  to  those  to  whom  it  belongeth,  that 
they  may  eat  it.  But  Barsum  disobeyed  him  :  he  took  from  it  a  mouthful, 
and  put  it  into  his  mouth,  and  was  about  to  take  the  second,  when  Zum- 
roud, observing  him,  called  out  to  certain  of  the  soldiers,  and  said  to  them, 
Bring  this  man  before  whom  is  the  dish  of  sweet  rice,  and  let  him  not  eat 
the  mouthful  that  is  in  his  hand  ;  but  throw  it  down  from  his  hand.  So 
four  of  the  soldiers  came  to  him,  and  dragged  him  along  upon  his  face,  aft- 
er they  had  thrown  down  the  mouthful  from  his  hand ;  and  they  stationed 
him  before  Zumroud.  Upon  this  the  people  refrained  from  eating;  one 
of  them  saying  to  another,  By  Allah,  he  was  unjust ;  for  he  would  not  eat 
of  the  food  suited  to  persons  of  his  own  class.  Another  said,  I  was  con- 
tent with  this  pottage  that  is  before  me.  And  the  drunkard  said,  Praise  be 
to  God,  who  prevented  my  eating  aught  of  this  dish  of  sweet  rice ;  for  I 
was  waiting  for  it  to  stop  before  him  and  for  him  to  enjoy  it,  when  I  would 
have  eaten  with  him  ;  but  what  we  have  witnessed  befell  him.  And  the 
people  said,  one  to  another,  Wait,  that  we  may  see  what  will  happen  to  him. 

Now  when  they  brought  him  before  the  Queen  Zumroud,  she  said  to 
him,  Woe  to  thee,  O  blue-eyed !     What  is  thy  name,  and  what  is  the  rea- 
son of  thy  coming  to  our  country  ?     And  the  accursed  refused  to  give  his 
true  name,  and,  having  a  white  turban,  he  answered,  O  king,  my  name  is 
'JO 


THE  STORY  OF  AL1  SUM  AND  ZUMKOUD. 

Ali,  and  my  business  is  that  of  a  weaver,  and  I  have  come  to  this  city  for 
the  sake  of  traffic.  Zumroud  said,  Bring  ye  to  me  a  geomantic  tablet,  and 
a  pen  of  brass.  And  they  brought  her  what  she  demanded  immediately ; 
and  she  took  the  geomantic  tablet  and  the  pen,  and  performed  an  operation 
of  geomancy,  designing  with  the  pen  a  figure  like  that  of  an  ape;  after 
which  she  raised  her  head  and  looked  attentively  at  Barsum  for  a  long 
time,  and  said  to  him,  O  dog,  how  is  it  that  thou  best  unto  kings  ?  Art 
thou  not  a  Christian,  and  is  not  thy  name  Barsum,  and  hast  thou  not  come 


\  X 


Barsum  detected  by  Zumroud. 

to  search  for  something  ?  Tell  me  then  the  truth,  or,  by  the  glory  of  the 
Deity,  I  will  strike  off  thy  head  !  And  the  Christian  was  agitated  ;  and  the 
emirs  and  others  who  were  present  said,  This  king  is  acquainted  with  geo-  V 
mancy.  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  Him  who  hath  endowed  him  with 
this  knowledge  !  Then  she  called  out  to  the  Christian,  saying  to  him,  Tell 
me  the  truth,  or  I  destroy  thee  !  And  the  Christian  replied,  Pardon,  O 
king  of  the  age  !  Thou  art  right  in  thy  geomantic  divination,  for  thy  slave 
is  a  Christian.  So  the  emirs  and  others  who  were  present  wondered  at 
the  king's  exactness  in  discovering  the  truth  by  geomancy,  saying,  Verily 
this  king  is  an  astrologer  of  whom  there  is  not  the  like  in  the  world !  Tho  •*» 
queen  then  ordered  that  the  Christian  should  be  flayed,  that  his  skin  should 
be  stuffed  with  straw,  and  hung  over  the  gate  of  the  horse-course,  and  that 
a  pit  should  be  dug  without  tho  city,  and  his  flesh  and  his  bones  should  lie 
burned  in  it,  and  dirt  and  filth  thrown  upon  his  ashes.  They  replied,  We 
hear  and  obey  ;  and  did  all  that  she  had  commanded  them.  And  when  the 
people  saw  what  had  befallen  the  Christian,  they  said,  His  recompense 
was  that  which  hath  befallen  him  :  and  what  an  unlucky  mouthful  was  that 
unto  him!  One  of  them  said,  Divorcement  shall  be  incumbent  on  the  re- 
mote [if  I  break  this  vow]  :  in  my  life  henceforth  I  will  never  eat  of  sweet 
rice!     And  the  drunkard  said,  Praise  be  to  God  who  hath  saved  mo  from 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

that  which  hath  befallen  this  man,  by  his  preserving  me  from  eating  that 
rice!  Then  all  the  people  went  forth;  and  they  had  become  prohibited 
from  sitting  opposite  to  the  sweet  rice,  in  the  place  of  that  Christian. 

Again,  when  the  third  month  commenced,  they  spread  the  table  as  usual, 
and  covered  it  with  the  dishes,  and  the  Queen  Zumroud  sat  upon  the 
throne,  the  troops  standing  in  the  customary  manner,  but  fearing  her  awful 
power.  The  people  of  the  city  then  entered  as  they  were  wont,  and  went 
around  the  table,  looking  for  the  place  of  the  dish  of  rice ;  and  one  of  them 
said  to  another,  O  Hadgi  Kalaf !  The  other  replied,  At  thy  service,  O 
Hadgi  Kaled.  And  the  former  said,  Avoid  the  dish  of  sweet  rice,  and  be- 
ware of  eating  of  it ;  for  if  thou  eat  of  it  thou  wilt  be  hanged.  Then  they 
seated  themselves  around  the  table  to  eat ;  and  while  they  were  eating, 
and  the  Queen  Zumroud  was  sitting  on  the  throne,  a  glance  of  her  eye  fell 
upon  a  man  entering  with  a  hurried  pace  from  the  gate  of  the  horse-course, 
and,  looking  attentively  at  him,  she  found  that  he  was  Jawan  the  Kurd,  the 
robber  who  murdered  the  trooper ;  and  the  cause  of  his  coming  was  this. 
He  had  left  his  mother,  and  gone  to  his  companions,  and  said  to  them,  I 
obtained  yesterday  excellent  booty  :  I  murdered  a  trooper,  and  took  his 
horse  ;  and  there  fell  to  my  lot  the  same  night  a  pair  of  saddle-bags  full  of 
gold,  and  a  damsel  whose  value  is  greater  than  the  gold  in  the  saddle-bags ; 
and  I  have  put  all  this  booty  in  the  cavern,  with  my  mother.  So  they  re- 
joiced at  this,  and  repaired  to  the  cavern  at  the  close  of  the  day.  Jawan 
the  Kurd  entered  before  them,  and  they  followed  him  ;  and  he  desired  to 
bring  to  them  the  things  of  which  he  had  told  them  ;  but  he  found  the  place 
desolate.  He  therefore  inquired  of  his  mother  the  truth  of  the  matter,  and 
she  acquainted  him  with  all  that  had  happened ;  on  hearing  which  he  bit 


22 


Jawan's  discovery  of  the  flight  of  Zumroud. 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AIS'D  ZUMROUD. 

his  hands  in  repentance,  and  said,  By  Allah,  I  will  search  about  for  this  im- 
pudent wench,  and  take  her  from  the  place  in  which  she  is,  though  she  be 
within  the  shell  of  a  pistachio-nut,  and  I  will  satisfy  my  malice  upon  her! 
Accordingly,  he  went  forth  to  search  for  her,  and  ceased  not  to  go  about  the 
surrounding  districts  until  he  came  to  the  city  of  the  Queen  Zumroud.  And 
when  he  entered  the  city,  he  found  no  man  in  it :  he  therefore  inquired  of 
some  of  the  women  who  were  looking  out  from  the  windows,  and  they  in- 
formed him  that  on  the  first  day  of  every  month  the  sultan  made  a  banquet, 
and  the  people  went  and  ate  of  it;  and  they  directed  him  to  the  horse-course 
in  which  the  table  was  spread. 

So  he  came  hurrying  on,  and,  not  finding  a  vacant  place  in  which  to  seat 
himself  excepting  opposite  the  dish  above  mentioned,  he  seated  himself 
there,  and,  as  the  dish  was  before  him,  stretched  forth  his  hand  to  it. 
Upon  this  the  people  called  to  him,  saying,  O  our  brother,  what  dost  thou 
desire  to  do  ?  He  answered,  I  desire  to  eat  of  this  dish  until  I  am  satiated. 
And  one  of  them  said  to  him,  If  thou  eat  of  it  thou  wilt  be  hanged.  But 
he  replied,  Be  silent,  and  utter  not  these  words.  Then  he  stretched  forth 
his  hand  to  the  dish  and  drew  it  before  him.  The  drunkard  before  men- 
tioned was  sitting  by  his  side,  and  wheu  he  saw  Jawan  draw  the  dish  before 
him  he  fled  from  his  place  ;  the  effect  of  the  intoxicating  drug  instantly 
passed  away  from  his  head,  and  he  seated  himself  afar  off,  saying,  I  have 
nothing  to  do  with  this  dish.  Jawan  the  Kurd  stretched  forth  his  hand  to 
the  dish,  and  it  resembled  the  foot  of  a  raven ;  and  he  ladled  the  rice  with 
it,  and  took  it  forth  resembling  the  foot  of  a  camel.  Theu  he  compressed 
the  handful  into  the  form  of  a  ball,  so  that  it  was  like  a  great  orange ;  he 
threw  it  rapidly  into  his  mouth,  and  it  descended  into  his  throat  making  a 
noise  like  thunder ;  and  the  bottom  of  the  dish  appeared  in  the  place  from 
which  it  was  taken.  So  a  man  by  his  side  said  to  him,  Praise  be  to  God, 
who  hath  not  made  me  to  be  a  dish  of  meat  before  thee  ;  for  thou  hast  ex- 
hausted the  dish  by  a  single  mouthful !  And  the  drunkard  said,  Let  him 
eat;  for  I  imagine  that  I  behold  in  him  the  figure  of  the  hanged.  Then 
looking  toward  him,  he  said  to  him,  Eat :  may  God  not  give  thee  enjoy- 
ment !  And  Jawan  stretched  forth  his  hand  to  take  the  second  mouthful, 
and  was  about  to  press  it  into  the  form  of  a  ball  like  the  first  mouthful, 
when  the  queen  called  to  some  of  the  soldiers,  saying  to  them,  Bring  that 
man  quickly,  and  suffer  him  not  to  eat  the  mouthful  that  is  in  his  hand. 

The  soldiers  therefore  ran  to  him  while  he  was  bending  his  head  over 
the  dish,  and  they  seized  him,  and  took  him  and  placed  him  before  the 
Queen  Zumroud.  Upon  this  the  people  exulted  over  him,  saying,  one  to 
another,  Verily  he  deserveth  it ;  for  we  gave  hiin  good  advice,  and  he 
would  not  follow  it.  This  place  is  predestined  to  occasion  the  slaughter  of 
him  who  sitteth  in  it,  and  that  rice  is  unfortunate  to  every  one  who  eateth 
of  it.  Then  the  Queen  Zumroud  said  to  him,  What  is  thy  name,  and 
what  is  thine  occupation,  and  what  is  the  reason  of  thy  coming  to  our  city  ? 
O  our  lord  the  sultan,  he  answered,  my  name  is  Osman,  and  my  occupation 
is  that  of  a  gardener,  and  the  reason  of  my  coming  to  this  city  is,  that  I  am 
going  about  searching  for  a  thing  that  I  have  lost.  And  the  queen  said, 
Bring  me  the  geomantic  tablet.  So  they  placed  it  before  her;  and  she 
took  the  pen.  and,  having  performed  an  operation  of  geomancy,  meditated 
upon  it  a  while  ;  after  which  she  raised  her  head,  anil  said  to  him,  Woe  to 
thee.  O  wicked  wretch  !      How  is  it  that  thou  best  unto  kings  ?     This  geo- 

23 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

man  tic  experiment  acquainteth  me  that  thy  name  is  Jawan  the  Kurd,  and 
thine  occupation  is  that  of  a  robber,  that  thou  takest  the  property  of  men  by 
iniquitous  means,  and  slayest  the  soul  that  God  hath  forbidden  to  be  slain 
unless  for  a  just  cause.  Then  she  called  out  to  him  and  said,  O  hog,  tell 
me  thy  true  story,  or  I  will  cut  off  thy  head!  And  when  he  heard  her 
words  his  complexion  became  sallow,  and  his  teeth  appeared,  and,  imagin- 
ing that  if  he  spoke  the  truth  he  would  save  himself,  he  replied,  Thou  hast 
spoken  truth,  O  king ;  but  I  vow  repentance  unto  thee  from  this  time, 
and  return  unto  God,  whose  name  be  exalted !  The  queen,  however,  said 
to  him,  It  is  not  lawful  unto  me  to  leave  a  viper  in  the  path  of  the  Faithful. 
And  she  said  to  some  of  her  attendants,  Take  him  and  flay  him,  and  do 
unto  him  as  ye  did  unto  the  like  of  him  last  month.  So  they  did  as  she 
commanded  them.  And  when  the  drunkard  saw  the  soldiers  seize  that 
man,  he  turned  his  back  to  the  dish  of  rice,  and  said,  Verily,  to  present  my 
face  unto  thee  is  unlawful !  And  as  soon  as  they  had  finished  eating,  they 
dispersed  and  went  to  their  abodes :  the  queen  also  went  up  into  her  pal- 
ace and  gave  permission  to  the  mamlouks  to  disperse. 

And  when  the  fourth  mouth  commenced,  they  descended  into  the  horse- 
course  as  usual,  and  made  ready  the  banquet,  and  the  people  sat  waiting 
for  permission.  The  queen  then  approached,  and  sat  upon  the  throne, 
looking  at  them  ;  and  she  observed  that  the  place  opposite  the  dish  of  rice, 
affording  room  for  four  persons,  was  vacant ;  whereat  she  wondered.  And 
while  she  was  looking  about,  she  beheld  a  man  entering  from  the  gate  of 
the  horse-course  with  a  quick  pace,  and  he  ceased  not  to  hurry  on  until 
he  stopped  over  the  table,  where  he  found  no  place  vacant  but  that  oppo- 
site the  dish  of  rice.  So  he  seated  himself  there;  and  she  looked  at  him 
attentively,  and  found  that  he  was  the  Christian  who  had  named  himself 
Rashideddin  ;  whereupon  she  said  within  herself,  How  fortunate  is  this 
repast,  by  which  this  infidel  hath  been  ensnared !  Now  the  cause  of  his 
coming  was  wonderful ;  and  it  was  this.  When  he  returned  from  his  jour- 
ney, the  people  of  his  house  informed  him  that  Zumroud  was  lost,  together 
with  a  pair  of  saddle-bags  full  of  money  ;  on  hearing  which  he  rent  his 
clothes,  and  slapped  his  face,  and  plucked  his  beard.  Then  he  sent  his 
brother  Barsum  to  search  for  her  through  the  surrounding  districts ;  and 
when  he  was  tired  of  waiting  for  news  of  him,  he  went  forth  himself  to 
search  through  the  provinces  for  his  brother  and  Zumroud,  and  destiny  im- 
pelled him  to  Zumroud's  city.  He  entered  that  city  on  the  first  day  of  the 
month,  and  when  he  walked  along  its  great  thoroughfare  streets,  he  found 
them  desolate,  and  saw  the  shops  closed,  and  the  women  at  the  windows ; 
so  he  inquired  of  some  of  them  respecting  this  circumstance,  and  they  told 
him  that  the  king  made  a  banquet  for  all  the  people  on  the  first  of  every 
month,  and  all  ate  of  it;  none  being  able  to  sit  in  his  house  or  in  his  shop ; 
and  they  directed  him  to  the  horse-course. 

On  his  entering  the  horse-course,  he  found  the  people  crowding  around 
the  food,  and  found  no  place  vacant  excepting  that  opposite  the  well-known 
dish  of  rice.  So  he  seated  himself  in  it,  and  stretched  forth  his  hand  to  eat 
of  that  dish;  whereupon  the  queen  called  to  some  of  the  soldiers,  saying, 
Bring  ye  him  who  hath  seated  himself  opposite  the  dish  of  rice.  And  they 
knew  him  from  the  former  occurrences  of  the  same  kind,  and  seized  him, 
and  stationed  him  before  the  Queen  Zumroud,  who  said  to  him,  Woe  to 
thee!  What  is  thy  name,  and  what  is  thine  occupation;  and  what  is  the 
2  4 


THE  STORY   OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

reason  of  thy  coining  unto  our  city  ?  He  answered,  O  king  of  the  age, 
my  name  is  Rustum,  and  I  have  no  occupation,  for  I  am  a  poor  dervish. 
And  she  said  to  her  attendants,  Bring  me  a  geomantic  tablet,  and  the  pen 
of  brass.  So  they  brought  her  what  she  demanded,  as  usual ;  and  she  took 
the  pen,  and  made  some  marks  with  it  upon  the  tablet,  and  remained 
a  while  contemplating  it ;  then  raising  her  head  and  looking  toward  him,  she 
said,  O  dog,  how  is  it  that  thou  liest  unto  the  kings  ?  Thy  name  is  Ra- 
shideddin  the  Christian,  and  thine  occupation  is,  to  practice  stratagems 
against  the  female  slaves  of  the  Faithful,  and  to  take  them ;  and  thou  art 
a  Mohammedan  externally,  but  in  heart  a  Christian.  Declare  then  the 
truth;  for  if  thou  do  not,  I  will  strike  oft*  thy  head.  And  he  hesitated  to 
reply  ;  but  afterward  said,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth,  O  king  of  the  age.  So 
she  gave  orders  that  he  should  be  stretched  upon  the  ground,  and  receive 
upon  each  foot  a  hundred  lashes,  and  upon  his  body  a  thousand  lashes; 
and  after  that,  that  he  should  be  flayed,  and  his  skin  stuffed  with  hards  of  X 
(lax  ;  then,  that  a  pit  should  be  dug  without  the  city,  and  his  body  be  burned  ' 
in  it,  and  dirt  and  lilth  thrown  upon  his  ashes.  And  they  did  as  she  com- 
manded them. 

After  this  she  gave  leave  to  the  people  to  eat,  and  when  they  had  fin- 
ished and  gone  their  ways,  the  Queen  Zumroud  went  up  into  her  palace, 
and  said,  Praise  be  to  God  who  hath  appeased  my  heart  by  the  punishment 
of  those  who  wronged  me  !  And  she  thanked  the  Creator  of  the  earth 
and  the  heavens.  Then  her  master  Ali  Shir  occurred  to  her  mind,  and 
she  shed  copious  tears ;  after  which,  returning  to  her  reason,  she  said 
within  herself,  Perhaps  God,  who  hath  given  me  power  over  mine  enemies, 
may  grant  me  the  return  of  my  beloved.  She  begged  forgiveness  of  God 
(to  whom  be  ascribed  might  and  glory!),  and  said,  Perhaps  God  will  soon 
reunite  me  with  my  beloved  Ali  Shir;  for  he  is  able  to  do  whatsoever  He 
willeth,  and  is  gracious  unto  his  servants,  and  acquainted  with  their  states. 
She  praised  God  again,  continued  her  prayers  for  forgiveness,  and  resigned 
herself  to  the  course  of  destiny,  assured  that  every  thing  which  hath  a  be- 
ginning must  come  to  an  end  ;  and  recited  the  saying  of  the  poet : 

Endure  thy  state  with  an  easy  mind  ;  for  iu  the  hand  of  God  are  the  destinies  of 

things, 
And  what  is  forbidden  will  not  happen  unto  thee,  nor  will  that  which  is  appointed 

fail  to  befall  thee. 

She  continued  for  the  whole  of  that  month  occupying  herself  by  day  in 
judging  the  people,  and  commanding  and  forbidding,  and  by  night  weep- 
ing and  lamenting  for  the  separation  of  her  beloved  Ali  Shir;  and  when 
the  next  month  commenced,  she  gave  orders  to  spread  the  table  in  the 
horse-course,  as  usual,  and  sat  at  the  head  of  the  people.  They  were 
waiting  for  her  permission  to  eat,  and  the  place  before  the  dish  of  rice  was 
vacant ;  and  as  she  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table,  she  kept  her  eye  fixed  upon 
the  gate  of  the  horse-course,  to  see  every  one  who  entered  it.  And  she  said 
within  herself,  O  Thou  who  restoredst  Joseph  to  Jacob,  and  removedst  the 
aflliction  from  Job,  favor  me  by  the  restoration  of  my  master  Ali  Shir,  by 
thy  power  and  greatness;  for  Thou  art  able  to  accomplish  everything!  O 
Lord  of  all  creatures !  O  Guide  of  those  who  go  astray  !  O  Hearer  of 
cries !  O  Answerer  of  prayers !  Hear  my  prayer,  O  Lord  of  all  crea- 
tures !  And  her  supplication  was  not  ended  when  there  entered  from  the 
gate  of  the  horse-course  a  person  whose  figure  was  like  a  branch  of  the 

Vol.  II-  B 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 


Zuimuad  weeping  at  the  remembrance  of  Ah  Shir. 


Oriental  willow ;  but  he  was  of  emaciated  frame,  and  snllowness  appeared 
in  his  countenance  :  he  was  the  handsomest  of  young  men,  perfect  in  judg- 
ment and  in  polite  accomplishments.  When  he  entered  he  found  no  place 
vacant  but  that  which  was  before  the  dish  of  rice  ;  he  therefore  sat  in  that 
place;  and  when  Zumroud  beheld  him,  her  heart  palpitated.  She  looked 
at  him  with  a  scrutinizing  glance,  and  it  was  evident  to  her  that  he  was  her 
master  Ali  Shir,  and  she  was  inclined  to  cry  aloud  for  joy;  but  she  stilled 
her  mind,  fearing  to  disgrace  herself  among  the  people  :  her  bowels  were 
moved,  and  her  heart  throbbed  ;  yet  she  concealed  what  she  felt.  And  the 
cause  of  Ali  Shir's  coming  was  this. 

When  he  lay  asleep  upon  the  stone  seat,  and  Zumroud  descended  and 
Jawan  the  Kurd  took  her,  he  awoke  afterward,  and  found  himself  with  un- 
covered head ;  so  he  knew  that  some  man  had  come  upon  him  unjustly, 
and  taken  his  turbnn  while  he  was  asleep.  He  uttered  the  sentence  which 
preserveth  the  person  who  pronounceth  it  from  being  confounded  ;  that  is, 
Verily  to  God  we  belong,  and  verily  unto  Him  we  return  !  Then  he  went 
back  to  the  old  woman  who  had  acquainted  him  with  the  situation  of  Zum- 
roud, and  knocked  at  her  door;  whereupon  she  came  forth  to  him  ;  and 
he  wept  before  her  until  he  fell  down  in  a  fit.  And  when  he  recovered, 
he  informed  her  of  all  that  had  befallen  him  ;  on  hearing  which,  she  blamed 
him,  and  severely  reproved  him  for  that  which  he  had  done,  and  said  to 
him,  Verily  thy  calamity  and  misfortune  have  arisen  from  thyself.  She 
ceased  not  to  blame  him  until  blood  ran  from  his  nostrils,  and  he  fell  down 
again  in  a  fit ;  and  on  his  recovering  from  his  fit,  he  beheld  the  old  woman 
weeping  on  his  account,  pouring  forth  tears,  and  in  a  state  of  anguish  ;  and 
he  recited  these  two  verses  : 

How  bitter  unto  lovers  is  separation,  and  how  sweet  unto  them  is  union  ! 

May  God  unite  every  separated  lover,  and  preserve  me,  for  I  am  of  their  number! 

The  old  woman  mourned  for  him,  and  said  to  him,  Sit  here  while  I  as- 
certain the  news  for  thee,  and  I  will  return  quickly-     And  he  replied,  1 
26 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD 


Ali  Shir  asleep  on  the  stone  seat. 

hear  and  obey.  Then  she  left  him  and  went  away,  and  was  absent  from 
him  until  mid-day,  when  she  returned  to  him,  and  said,  O  Ali,  I  imagine 
nothing  but  that  thou  wilt  die  in  thy  grief;  for  thou  wilt  not  again  see  thy 
beloved  save  on  the  Sirat  ;*  for  the  people  of  the  pavilion,  when  they  arose 
in  the  morning,  found  the  window  that  overlooketh  the  garden  displaced, 
and  Zumroud  lost,  and  with  her  a  pair  of  saddle-bags  full  of  money  belonging 
to  the  Christian  ;  and  when  I  arrived  there,  I  found  the  judge  standing  at 
the  door  of  the  pavilion,  together  with  his  officers  ;  and  there  is  no  strength 
nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  Now  when  Ali  Shir  heard 
these  words  from  her,  the  light  before  his  face  became  converted  into  dark- 
ness;  he  despaired  of  life,  and  made  sure  of  death,  and  ceased  not  to  weep 
until  again  he  fell  down  in  a  lit;  and  after  he  recovered  from  his  fit,  love 
and  separation  so  afflicted  him  that  he  was  attacked  by  a  severe  sickness, 
and  was  confined  to  his  house.  The  old  woman,  however,  continued  to 
bring  the  physicians  to  him.  and  to  give  him  beverages,  and  make  pottages 
for  him,  during  the  space  of  a  whole  year,  until  his  soul  returned  in  him. 
And  when  the  second  year  commenced,  the  old  woman  said  to  him,  O  my 


*  The  bridge  over  which  all  men  must  pass  at  the  dav  of  judgment. 

27 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

son,  this  sadness  and  grief  that  thou  sufferest  will  not  restore  to  thee  thy 
beloved  :  arise  then,  brace  up  thy  nerves,  and  search  for  her  through  the 
surrounding  districts  ;  perhaps  thou  mayest  meet  with  tidings  of  her.  And 
she  ceased  not  to  encourage  him  and  to  strengthen  his  mind  until  she 
cheered  him  ;  and  she  conducted  him  into  the  bath,  gave  him  wine  to  drink, 
and  fed  him  with  fowls.  Thus  she  did  every  day  for  the  space  of  a  month, 
till  he  gained  strength,  and  set  forth  on  his  journey,  and  he  ceased  not  to 
travel  until  he  arrived  at  the  city  of  Zumroud. 

Having  entered  the  horse-course,  he  seated  himself  at  the  table,  and 
stretched  forth  his  hand  to  eat ;  and  upon  this  the  people  grieved  for  him, 
and  said  to  him,  O  young  man,  eat  not  of  this  dish ;  for  affliction  will  be- 
fall him  who  eateth  of  it.  But  he  replied,  Suffer  me  to  eat  of  it,  and  let 
them  do  unto  me  what  they  desire  :  perhaps  I  may  be  relieved  from  this 
wearying  life.  Then  he  ate  the  first  morsel ;  and  Zumroud  desired  to  have 
him  brought  before  her ;  but  it  occurred  to  her  mind  that  he  might  be 
hungry  :  so  she  said  within  herself,  It  is  proper  that  I  suffer  him  to  eat 
until  he  satisfy  himself.  He  therefore  continued  eating ;  and  the  people 
were  confounded  at  his  case,  looking  to  see  what  would  happen  unto  him. 
And  when  he  had  eaten,  and  satisfied  himself,  she  said  to  certain  of  the 
eunuchs,  Go  to  that  young  man  who  eateth  of  the  rice,  and  bring  him  court- 
eously, and  say  to  him,  Answer  the  summons  of  the  king,  to  reply  to  a 
little  question.  So  they  said,  We  hear  and  obey  :  and  they  went  to  him, 
and,  standing  over  his  head,  said  to  him,  O  our  master,  have  the  goodness 
to  answer  the  summons  of  the  king,  and  let  thy  heart  be  dilated.  He  re- 
plied, I  hear  and  obey  :  and  he  went  with  the  eunuchs;  while  the  people 
said  one  to  another,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High, 
the  Great!  What  will  the  king  do  with  him  ?  But  some  of  them  said, 
He  will  do  naught  but  good  with  him  ;  for  if  he  meant  to  do  him  harm,  he 
had  not  suffered  him  to  eat  until  he  was  satisfied.  And  when  he  stood  be- 
fore Zumroud,  he  saluted,  and  kissed  the  ground  before  her;  and  she  re- 
turned his  salutation,  receiving  him  with  honor,  and  said  to  him,  What  is 
thy  name,  and  what  is  thine  occupation,  and  what  is  the  reason  of  thy 
coming  unto  this  city  ?  So  he  answered  her,  O  king,  my  name  is  Ali  Shir ;  I 
am  of  the  sons  of  the  merchants,  and  my  country  is  Khorasan,  and  the  reason 
of  my  coming  unto  this  city  is  to  search  for  a  slave  girl  whom  1  have  lost : 
she  was  dearer  to  me  than  my  hearing  and  my  sight,  and  my  soul  hath 
been  devoted  to  her  ever  since  I  lost  her.  This  is  my  stoiy.  Then  he 
wept  until  he  fainted  ;  whereupon  she  gave  orders  to  sprinkle  some  rose- 
water  upon  his  face ;  and  they  did  so  until  he  recovered,  when  the  queen 
said,  Bring  to  me  the  geomantic  tablet,  and  the  pen  of  brass.  They  there- 
fore brought  them;  and  she  took  the  pen,  and,  having  performed  an  op- 
eration of  geomancy,  considered  it  a  while,  after  which  she  said  to  him, 
Thou  hast  spoken  truly.  God  will  unite  thee  with  her  soon  :  so  be  not 
uneasy.  She  then  ordered  the  chamberlain  to  take  him  to  the  bath,  and 
to  attire  him  in  a  handsome  suit  of  the  apparel  of  kings,  to  mount  him  upon 
one  of  the  most  excellent  of  her  horses,  and  after  that  to  bring  him  to  the 
palace  at  the  close  of  the  day.  The  chamberlain  replied,  I  hear  and  obey  ; 
and  led  him  away  from  before  her,  and  departed.  And  the  people  said 
one  to  another,  Wherefore  hath  the  king  treated  the  young  man  with  this 
courtesy  ?  One  said,  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  he  would  do  him  no  harm  ? 
For  his  appearance  is  comely,  and  from  the  king's  waiting  until  he  had 
28 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  SHIR  AND  ZUMROUD. 

satisfied  himself,  I  knew  that.  And  every  one  of  them  said  something. 
Then  the  people  dispersed,  and  went  their  ways. 

Zumroud  scarcely  believed  that  the  night  was  approaching  when  she 
should  be  with  the  beloved  of  her  heart  alone ;  and  as  soon  as  the  night 
came,  she  entered  her  chamber  and  sent  to  her  beloved  Ali  Shir.  And 
when  they  brought  him,  he  kissed  the  ground  before  her,  and  prayed  for 
her;  and  she  said  within  herself,  I  must  jest  with  him  a  while,  without 
making  myself  known  to  him.  So  she  said,  O  Ali,  hast  thou  gone  to  the 
bath  ?  He  answered,  Yes,  O  my  lord.  And  she  said,  Arise,  eat  of  this 
fowl  and  meat,  and  drink  of  this  sherbet,  and  sugar,  and  wine ;  for  thou 
art  tired  ;  and  after  that  come  hither.  He  replied,  I  hear  and  obey  ;  and 
he  did  as  she  commanded  him  :  and  when  he  had  finished  eating  and  drink- 
ing, she  said  to  him,  Come  up  unto  me,  and  rub  my  feet.  He  therefore 
began  to  rub  her  feet  and  her  legs,  and  found  them  softer  than  silk.  And 
after  she  had  continued  a  while  jestiug  with  him,  she  said,  O  my  master, 
hath  all  this  happened,  and  dost  thou  not  know  me  ?  He  asked,  and  who 
art  thou,  O  king?  And  she  answered,  I  am  thy  slave  girl  Zumroud.  So 
when  he  knew  this,  he  kissed  her,  and  embraced  her,  throwing  himself 
upon  her  like  the  lion  upon  the  sheep. 

And  on  the  following  morning  Zumroud  sent  to  all  the  troops,  and  the 
lords  of  the  empire,  and  summoned  them,  and  said  to  them,  I  desire  to 
journey  to  the  city  of  this  man.  Choose  for  you,  therefore,  a  viceroy  to 
exercise  authority  among  you  until  I  return  to  you.  And  they  replied, 
We  hear  and  obey.  She  then  betook  herself  to  preparing  the  necessaries 
for  the  journey,  as  food  and  money  and  other  supplies,  and  rarities,  and 
camels,  and  mules,  and  set  forth  from  the  city  ;  and  she  continued  her 
journey  with  him  until  she  arrived  at  the  city  of  Ali  Shir,  when  he  entered 
his  abode,  and  gave  gifts,  and  alms,  and  presents.  He  was  blessed  with 
children  by  her,  and  they  both  lived  in  the  utmost  happiness  until  they 
were  visited  by  the  terminator  of  delights  and  the  separator  of  companions. 
Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  the  Eternal !  and  praise  be  to  God  in  every  case ! 


Givinp  Alms. 


29 


vWvvv 


i, 


>JM&5l 


Haroun  Alrashid  and  Mcsrour. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  THREE  HUNDRED  AND  TWENTY- 
SEVENTH  NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  FART  OF  THE  THREE  HUNDRED 
AND    THIRTY-FOURTH. 

THE    STORY   OF    IBN    MANSOUR    AND    THE    LADY    BADOURA,   AND 
JUBIR  THE  SON  OF  OMIR  SHEIBANI. 

It  is  related  that  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Haroun  Alrashid,  was  rest- 
less one  night,  and  sleep  was  difficult  unto  him :   he  ceased  not  to  turn 
30 


STORY  OF  IBX  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 

over  from  side  to  side,  through  the  excess  of  his  restlessness ;  and  when 
this  state  wearied  him,  he  summoned  Mesrour,  and  said  to  him,  O  Mes- 
rour,  see  for  me  some  one  who  will  divert  me  from  this  restlessness. 
Mesrour  said,  O  my  lord,  wilt  thou  enter  the  garden  in  the  palace,  and 
amuse  thyself  with  the  sight  of  the  flowers  it  containeth,  and  look  at  the 
planets,  and  the  beauty  of  their  disposition,  and  the  moon  among  them 
shining  upon  the  water?  He  answered,  O  Mesrour,  verily  my  soul  in- 
clined] not  to  any  thing  of  that  kind.  (J  my  lord,  rejoined  Mesrour,  there 
are  in  thy  palace  three  hundred  concubines,  each  of  whom  hath  a  separate 
apartment.  Order,  then,  every  one  of  them  to  retire  into  her  apartment, 
and  go  thou  about  and  amuse  thyself  by  the  sight  of  them  while  they  know 
not.  The  caliph  replied,  O  Mesrour,  the  palace  is  mine,  and  the  female 
slaves  are  my  property  ;  yet  my  soul  inclineth  not  to  any  thing  of  that  kind. 
Mesrour  then  said,  O  my  lord,  order  the  learned  men,  and  the  sages,  and 
the  poets  to  come  before  thee,  and  to  enter  into  discussions,  and  recite 
verses  to  thee,  and  relate  to  thee  tales  and  histories.  My  soul,  replied  the 
caliph,  inclineth  not  to  any  thing  of  that  kind.  Mesrour  said,  O  my  lord, 
order  the  pages,  and  the  boon-companions,  and  the  men  of  politeness  to 
come  before  thee,  and  to  entertain  thee  with  strange  witticisms.  But  the 
caliph  replied,  O  Mesrour,  my  soul  inclineth  not  to  aught  of  that  kind. 
Then  said  Mesrour,  O  my  lord,  strike  off  my  head  :  perhaps  that  will  put 
an  end  to  thy  restlessness,  and  dispel  the  uneasiness  which  thou  suflerest. 
And  Ahashid  laughed  at  his  words,  and  said  to  him,  O  Mesrour,  see  who 
of  the  boon-companions  is  at  the  door.  So  Mesrour  went  forth,  and  re- 
turned, saying,  O  my  lord,  he  who  is  at  the  door  is  Ali  Ibn  Mansour  the 
Wag,  of  Damascus.  The  caliph  said,  Bring  him  unto  me.  Mesrour,  there- 
fore, went  and  brought  him;  and  when  Ibn  Mansour  entered,  he  said, 
Peace  be  on  thee,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful !  And  the  caliph  returned  his 
salutation  and  said,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  relate  to  us  somewhat  of  thy  stories. 

0  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  said  he,  shall  I  relate  to  thee  a  thing  that  I  have 
actually  witnessed,  or  a  thing  of  which  I  have  heard  ?  The  Prince  of  the 
Faithful  answered,  If  thou  have  witnessed  any  thing  extraordinary,  relate 
it  to  us ;  for  hearing  a  thing  as  reported  by  others  is  not  like  witnessing. 
So  Ibn  Mansour  said,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  give  up  to  me  exclusively 
thy  hearing  and  thy  mind.  Alrashid  replied,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  see,  I  hear 
with  mine  ear,  and  look  at  thee  with  mine  eye,  and  attend  to  thee  with  my 
mind.     And  Ibn  Mansour  said, 

O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  know  that  I  have  an  appointment  every  year 
from  Mohammed  the  son  of  Suleiman  Hashimi,  the  sultan  of  Balsora  ;  and 

1  went  to  him  as  I  was  wont,  and  when  I  came  to  him,  I  found  him  pre- 
pared to  mount  for  the  chase.  I  saluted  him,  and  he  saluted  me,  and  said 
to  me,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  mount  and  accompany  us  to  the  chase.  But  I  re- 
plied, O  my  lord,  I  have  not  power  to  ride  :  seat  me,  therefore,  in  the  man- 
sion of  entertainment,  and  give  a  charge  respecting  me  to  the  chamberlains 
and  lieutenants.  And  he  did  so,  and  then  went  to  hunt.  And  they  paid 
me  the  utmost  honor,  and  entertained  me  in  the  best  manner.  And  I  said 
within  myself,  Allah !  it  is  wonderful  that  for  a  long  time  I  have  been  in 
the  habit  of  coming  from  Bagdad  to  Balsora,  and  know  not  in  this  placo 
aught  but  the  way  from  the  palace  to  the  garden,  and  from  the  garden  to 
the  palace ;  and  when  shall  I  find  such  an  opportunity  to  amuse  myself 
with  a  sight  of  the  quarters  of  Balsora  as  on  this  occasion  ?     I  will  there- 

31 


> 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 


The  garden  and  palace  at  Balsora. 


fore  arise  immediately,  and  walk  out  alone  to  amuse  myself,  and  let  the 
food  that  I  have  eaten  digest. 

Accordingly,  I  attired  myself  in  the  richest  of  my  apparel,  and  walked 
through  a  part  of  Balsora.  Now  thou  knowest,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful, 
that  there  are  in  it  seventy  streets,  the  length  of  each  of  which  is  seventy 
leagues  by  the  measure  of  Irak.  So  I  lost  my  way  in  its  by-streets,  and 
thirst  overcame  me  ;  and  while  I  was  walking,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful, 
lo,  a  great  door,  with  two  rings  of  yellow  brass,  and  with  curtains  of  red 
brocade  hung  over  it,  and  by  the  two  sides  of  it  were  two  seats,  and  above 
it  was  a  trellis  for  grape  vines,  which  overshadowed  that  door.  I  stopped 
to  divert  myself  with  a  sight  of  this  mansion  ;  and  while  I  stood,  I  heard  a 
voice  of  lamentation,  proceeding  from  a  sorrowful  heart,  warbling  melodi- 
ous sounds,  and  singing  these  verses  : 

My  body  hath  become  the  dwelling-place  of  diseases  and  afflictions, 

On  account  of  a  fawn  whose  abode  and  home  are  distant. 

O  two  zephyrs  of  the  desert  that  have  stirred  up  my  anguish  ! 

By  Allah,  your  Lord,  turn  to  my  [heart's]  abode, 

And  reproach  him;  perhaps  reproach  will  change  his  conduct. 

Five  more  stanzas  like  the  above  followed,  and  I  said  within  myself,  The 
person  from  whom  these  melodious  sounds  have  proceeded,  if  comely,  pos- 
sesseth  the  united  charms  of  comeliness,  and  eloquence,  and  sweetness  of 
32 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 


^1\t^«I6b  mm  J- 


Ibn  Mansour  at  the  door  of  the  house  of  the  Lady  Badoura. 

voice.  I  then  approached  the  door,  and  began  to  raise  the  curtain  by  little 
and  little ;  and  lo,  I  beheld  a  fair  damsel,  like  the  moon  when  it  appeareth 
in  its  fourteenth  night,  with  joined  eyebrows,  and  languishing  eyelids,  and 
a  bosom  like  two  pomegranates ;  she  had  thin  lips,  like  two  pieces  of  car- 
nelion,  a  mouth  like  the  seal  of  Solomon,  and  a  set  of  teeth  that  would 
sport  with  the  reason  of  the  poet  and  the  prose-writer.  Altogether  she 
comprised  all  the  charms  of  loveliness,  and  was  a  source  of  disturbance 
unto  women  and  men.  The  beholder  could  not  satisfy  himself  with  gazing 
at  her  beauty  ;  and  she  was  as  the  poet  hath  said, 

When  she  approacheth,  she  killeth  ;  and  when  she  tumeth  her  back,  she  niaketh 

all  men  to  be  enamored  of  her. 
She  is  like  the  sun,  and  like  the  full  moon ;  but  oppression  and  aversion  are  not  in 

her  nature. 
Paradise  is  opened  when  she  exhibiteth  herself,  and  the  full  moon  is  seen  above 

her  neck-rings. 

Now  while  I  was  looking  at  her  through  the  interstice  of  the  curtains,  lo, 
she  cast  a  glance,  and  beheld  me  standing  at  the  door ;  whereupon  she  said 
B*  33 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA 

to  her  slave  girl,  See  who  is  at  the  door.  The  slave  girl  therefore  arose, 
and  came  to  me,  and  said,  O  sheikh,  hast  thou  no  modesty  ;  and  do  hoari- 
ness  and  disgraceful  conduct  exist  together  ?  I  answered  her,  O  my  mis- 
tress, as  to  hoariness,  we  have  experienced  it;  but  as  to  disgraceful  con- 
duct, I  do  not  think  that  I  have  been  guilty  of  it.  But  her  mistress  said, 
And  what  conduct  can  be  more  disgraceful  than  thine  intrusion  upon  a 
house  that  is  not  thine  own,  and  thy  looking  at  a  harem  that  is  not  thine  ? 
So  I  answered  her,  O  my  mistress,  I  have  an  excuse  for  doing  so.  And 
what  is  thine  excuse  ?  she  asked.  I  answered  her,  Verily  I  am  a  stranger, 
and  thirsty  ;  and  thirst  hath  almost  killed  me.  And  upon  this  she  said,  We 
accept  thine  excuse.  Then  calling  one  of  her  female  slaves,  she  said,  O 
Lutf,  give  him  a  draught  in  the  mug  of  gold.  Whereupon  she  brought  me 
a  mug  of  red  gold  set  with  pearls  and  jewels,  full  of  water  perfumed  with 
strong-scented  musk,  and  covered  with  a  napkin  of  green  silk  :  and  I  be- 
gan to  drink,  and  prolonged  my  drinking,  stealing  glances  at  her  in  the 
mean  while,  until  I  had  stood  a  length  of  time.  I  then  returned  the  mug 
to  the  slave  girl,  and  remained  standing.  So  she  [the  lady]  said,  O  sheikh, 
go  thy  way.  But  I  replied,  O  my  mistress,  I  am  troubled  in  mind.  Re- 
specting what  ?  said  she.  And  I  answered,  Respecting  the  changes  of 
fortune,  and  the  vicissitudes  of  events.  She  replied,  It  becometh  thee  ; 
for  fortune  giveth  rise  to  wonders.  But  what  (she  added)  hast  thou  wit- 
nessed of  its  wonders,  that  thou  reflectest  upon  it?  I  am  reflecting,  I  an- 
swered, upon  the  owner  of  this  house ;  for  he  was  my  sincere  friend  in  his 
lifetime.  And  she  said  to  me,  What  was  his  name  1  I  answered,  Mo- 
hammed the  son  of  Ali  the  Jeweler ;  and  he  was  possessed  of  great  wealth. 
But  hath  he,  I  asked,  left  children  ?  Yes,  said  she ;  he  hath  left  a  daugh- 
ter, who  is  named  Badoura,  and  she  hath  inherited  all  his  riches.  So  I  said 
to  her,  It  seeineth  that  thou  art  his  daughter.  She  replied,  Yes ;  and 
laughed.  Then  she  said,  O  sheikh,  thou  hast  prolonged  the  discourse  ; 
therefore  go  thy  way.  I  replied,  I  must  go ;  but  I  see  that  thy  charms 
are  changed :  acquaint  me,  then,  with  thy  case  ;  perhaps  God  may  grant 
thee  relief  by  means  of  me.  And  she  said  to  me,  O  sheikh,  if  thou  be  of 
the  number  of  those  who  are  worthy  of  being  intrusted  with  secrets,  we 
will  reveal  to  thee  our  secret.  Inform  me,  therefore,  who  thou  art,  that  I 
may  know  whether  thou  art  a  fit  depository  for  a  secret,  or  not ;  for  the 
poet  hath  said, 

None  keepetb  a  secret  but  a  faithful  person  ;  with  the  best  of  mankind  it  remain- 

eth  concealed. 
I  have  kept  my  secret  in  a  house  with  a  lock,  whose  key  is  lost,  and  whose  door 

is  sealed. 

So  I  said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  if  thou  desirest  to  know  who  I  am,  I  am 
Ali  the  son  of  Mansour  the  Wag,  of  Damascus,  the  boon-companion  of  the 
Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Haroun  Alrashid. 

And  when  she  heard  my  name,  she  descended  from  her  chair  and  sa- 
luted me,  and  said  to  me,  Thou  art  welcome,  O  Ibn  Mansour.  Now  I  will 
acquaint  thee  with  my  state,  and  intrust  thee  with  my  secret.  I  am  a 
separated  lover.  O  my  mistress,  said  I,  thou  art  comely,  and  lovest  none 
but  whomsoever  is  comely.  Who,  then,  is  he  that  thou  lovest  ?  She  an- 
swered, I  love  Jubir  the  son  of  Omir  Sheibani,  the  emir  of  the  tribe  of 
Sheiban.  And  she  described  to  me  a  young  man  than  whom  there  was 
none  more  handsome  in  Balsora.  I  said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  hath  any 
34 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 

interview  or  correspondence  taken  place  between  you  ?  Yes,  she  answer- 
ed ;  but  we  have  loved  with  the  tongue ;  not  with  the  heart  and  soul ; 
since  he  hath  not  fulfilled  a  promise,  nor  performed  a  covenant.  So  I  said 
to  her,  O  my  mistress,  and  what  hath  been  the  cause  of  the  separation  that 
hath  occurred  between  you  ?  She  answered,  The  cause  was  this  :  I  was 
sitting  one  day,  and  this  my  slave  girl  was  combing  my  hair;  and  when  she 
had  finished  combing  it,  she  plaited  my  tresses,  and  my  beauty  and  loveli- 
ness charmed  her ;  so  she  bent  over  me,  and  kissed  my  cheek ;  and  just  at 


The  slave  girl  kissing  the  Lady  Badoura, 

that  time  he  came  in  suddenly,  and  seeing  the  slave  girl  kiss  my  cheek,  he 
drew  back  instantly  in  anger,  determining  upon  a  lasting  separation,  and  re- 
cited these  two  verses  : 

If  another  have  a  share  in  the  object  of  my  love,  I  abandon  my  beloved,  and  live 

alone. 
My  beloved  is  worthless  if  she  desire  aught  of  which  her  lover  doth  not  approve. 

And  from  the  time  of  his  withdrawing  in  aversion  from  me  to  the 
present  day,  neither  letter  nor  reply  hath  come  to  us  from  him,  O  Ibn 
M  ansour.  And  what,  said  I,  dost  thou  desire  ?  She  answered,  I  desire  to 
send  to  him  a  letter  by  thee  ;  and  if  thou  bring  me  his  answer,  thou  shalt 
receive  from  me  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold  ;  and  if  thou  bring  me  not  his 
answer,  thou  shalt  receive,  as  a  compensation  for  thy  walk,  one  hundred 
pieces  of  gold.  So  I  replied,  Do  what  seemeth  fit  unto  thee.  And  she 
said,  T  hear  and  obey.     Then  she  called  one  of  her  female  slaves,  and  said, 

35 


SJORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 

Bring  to  me  an  ink-cfise  and  a  piece  of  paper.     And  she  brought  them  to 
her ;  and  she  wrote  these  verses  : 

My  beloved,  wherefore  this  estrangement  and  hatred  ?  And  when  shall  for- 
giveness and  indulgence  be  granted  1 

\Vhy  dost  thou  abandon  rne  in  aversion?  Thy  face  is  not  the  face  that  I  was 
wont  to  know. 

Yes  ;  the  slanderers  have  falsified  my  words,  and  thou  hast  leaned  to  their  report ; 
so  they  have  increased  in  their  excesses. 

If  thou  hast  believed  their  tale,  God  forbid  thou  shouldst  continue  to  do  so !  for 
thou  knowest  better. 

By  thy  life  inform  me  what  is  it  thou  hast  heard ;  for  thou  knowest  what  hath  been 
said,  and  wilt  act  justly. 

If  it  be  true  that  I  have  uttered  the  words,  words  admit  of  interpretation,  and 
they  admit  of  change. 

Suppose  that  the  words  were  revealed  by  God;  people  have  changed  and  cor- 
rupted the  Pentateuch. 

What  falsehoods  have  been  told  of  persons  before  us !  Even  Joseph  was  blamed 
in  the  presence  of  Jacob! 

For  myself  and  the  slanderer  and  thee  together  there  shall  be  an  awful  day  of 
judgment. 

She  then  sealed  the  letter  and  handed  it  to  me,  and  I  took  it  and  went 
to  the  house  of  Jubir  the  son  of  Omir  Sheibani.  I  found  that  he  was  hunt- 
ing ;  so  I  seated  myself  to  wait  for  him  ;  and  while  I  sat,  lo,  he  approached 
returning  from  the  chase ;  and  when  I  beheld  him,  O  Prince  of  the  Faith- 
ful, upon  his  horse,  my  reason  was  confounded  by  his  beauty  and  loveli- 
ness. Looking  aside,  he  beheld  me  sitting  at  the  door  of  his  house ;  and 
as  soon  as  he  saw  me,  he  alighted  from  his  horse  and  came  to  me,  and  em- 
braced and  saluted  me ;  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  though  I  held  in  my  em- 
brace the  world  and  all  that  it  containeth.  Then  he  conducted  me  into  his 
house,  and  seated  me  upon  his  couch,  and  gave  orders  to  bring  the  table  ; 
whereupon  they  brought  forward  a  table  of  the  wood  of  Khorasan,  the  feet 
of  which  were  of  gold ;  and  upon  it  were  all  kinds  of  viands,  varieties  of 
meats,  fried  and  roasted,  and  such  like  ;  and  when  I  seated  myself  at  the 
table,  I  looked  at  it,  and  found  inscribed  upon  it  these  verses  : 

Stay  by  the  cranes  that  are  lodged  in  the  porringers,  and  alight  among  the  tribe 

of  fried  meats  and  dainties. 
And  mourn  over  the  daughters  of  the  kata — I  have  done  so  continually — and  over 

the  brown  meat  amid  the  chickens. 

Then  Jubir  the  son  of  Omir  said,  Stretch  forth  thy  hand  to  our  food,  and 
comfort  our  heart  by  eating  of  our  provision.  But  I  replied,  By  Allah,  I 
will  not  eat  of  thy  food  a  single  mouthful  until  thou  perform  my  want.  He 
said,  And  what  is  thy  want?  And  I  handed  forth  to  him  a  letter;  and 
when  he  had  read  it  and  understood  its  contents,  he  tore  it  in  pieces  and 
threw  it  upon  the  floor,  saying  to  me,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  whatsoever  want 
thou  hast,  we  will  perform  it,  excepting  this  thing  which  concerneth  the 
writer  of  this  letter ;  for  to  her  letter  I  have  no  reply  to  give.  So  I  arose 
from  his  side  in  anger ;  but  he  laid  hold  upon  my  skirts,  and  said  to  me,  O 
Ibn  Mansour,  I  will  tell  thee  what  she  said  to  thee,  though  I  was  not  pres- 
ent with  you  two.  I  asked  him,  What  was  it  that  she  said  to  me?  And 
lie  replied,  Did  not  the  writer  of  this  letter  say  to  thee,  If  thou  bring  me 
his  answer,  thou  shalt  receive  from  me  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold  ;  and  if 
thou  bring  me  not  his  answer,  thou  shalt  receive  from  me,  as  a  compen. 
sation  for  thy  walk,  one  hundred  pieces  of  gold  ?  I  answered,  Yes.  And 
36 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 

be  said,  Sit  with  me  this  day,  and  eat  and  drink,  and  enjoy  thyself  and  be 
merry,  and  receive  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold. 

So  I  sat  with  him,  and  ate  and  drank,  and  enjoyed  myself  and  was  mer- 
ry, and  entertained  him  in  the  night  by  conversation;  and  afterward  I  said, 
O  my  master,  there  is  no  music  in  thy  house.  He  replied,  Verily  for  a 
long  time  we  have  drank  without  music.  Then  calling  one  of  his  female 
slaves,  he  said,  O  Cluster  of  Pearls !  Whereupon  a  slave  girl  answered 
him  from  her  private  chamber,  bringing  a  lute  of  Indian  manufacture  in- 


s  w  1 


Lute. 


closed  in  a  bag  of  silk  ;  and  she  came  and  seated  herself,  and,  having  placed 
the  lute  in  her  lap,  played  upon  it  one-and-twenty  airs  ;  after  which  she  re- 
turned to  the  first  air,  and,  with  exciting  modulations,  sang  these  verses: 

Whoso  bath  not  tasted  love's  sweetness  ami  its  bitterness,  doth  not  distinguish 

between  the  company  and  the  absence  of  the  beloved : 
And  he  who  hath  declined  from  love's  right  road,  doth  not  distinguish  between  the 

smoothness  and  the  ruggedness  of  his  path. 
I  ceased  not  to  oppose  the  votaries  of  love  until  I  experienced  both  its  sweetness 

and  its  bitterness  ; 
And  I  have  drunk  up  the  cup  of  its  bitterness  until  I  have  abased  myself  both  to 

the  slave  and  the  free. 
How  many  a  night  hath  the  beloved  caroused  with  me.  and  I  have  sipped  the 

sweet  draught  that  issued  from  her  lips! 

37 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 

How  short  was  each  night  when  we  were  together!  The  nightfall  and  daybreak 
were  simultaneous  ! 

Fortune  made  a  vow  that  she  would  disunite  us;  and  now  hath  Fortune  accom- 
plished her  vow. 

Fate  decreed,  and  the  sentence  can  not  be  reversed.  Who  is  he  that  can  oppose 
his  Lord's  command  ? 

And  when  the  slave  girl  had  finished  her  song,  her  master  uttered  a  great 
cry  and  fell  down  in  a  fit ;  upon  which  the  slave  girl  said,  May  God  not 


Jubir  fainting. 

pnuish  thee,  O  sheikh;  for  of  a  long  time  we  have  drank  without  music, 
fearing  for  our  master,  lest  he  should  experience  the  like  of  this  fit.  But 
go  to  yon  private  chamber,  and  sleep  there.  So  I  went  to  the  private  cham- 
ber to  which  she  directed  me,  and  slept  there  until  the  morning;  when  lo, 
a  page  came  to  me,  bringing  a  purse  in  which  were  five  hundred  pieces  of 
gold ;  and  he  said,  This  is  what  my  master  promised  thee :  but  return 
thou  not  to  the  damsel  who  sent  thee,  and  let  it  be  as  though  thou  hadst 
not  heard  of  this  affair,  and  as  though  we  had  not  heard.  So  I  replied,  I 
hear  and  obey. 

I  then  took  the  purse,  and  went  my  way  ;  but  I  said  within  myself,  Ver- 
ily the  damsel  hath  been  expecting  me  since  yesterday.  By  Allah,  I  must 
return  to  her,  and  acquaint  her  with  that  which  hath  taken  place  between 
me  and  him ;  for,  if  I  return  not  to  her,  probably  she  will  revile  me,  and 
will  revile  every  one  who  cometh  forth  from  my  country.  Accordingly,  I 
went  to  her,  and  found  her  standing  behind  the  door;  and  when  she  be- 
held me,  she  said,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  thou  hast  not  accomplished  for  me  any 
thing.  Who,  said  I,  informed  thee  of  this?  She  answered,  O  Ibn  Man- 
sour,  I  have  a  further  intuition  ;  that,  when  thou  haudedst  him  the  paper,  he 
tore  it  in  pieces  and  threw  it  down,  and  said  to  thee,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  what- 
soever want  thou  hast,  we  will  perform  it  for  thee,  except  the  affair  of  her 
who  wrote  this  letter ;  for  to  her  I  have  no  reply  to  give.  Whereupon 
thou  rosest  from  his  side  in  anger ;  but  he  laid  hold  upon  thy  skirts,  and  said 
to  thee,  O  Ibn  Mansour.  sit  with  me  this  day ;  for  thou  art  my  guest,  and 
38 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 

eat  and  drink,  and  enjoy  thyself  and  be  merry,  and  receive  five  hundred 
pieces  of  gold.  So  thou  satest  with  him,  and  atest  and  drankest,  and  en- 
joyedst  thyself  and  wast  merry,  and  entertainedst  him  by  night  with  con- 
versation ;  and  the  slave  girl  sang  such  an  air,  and  such  verses  ;  upon  which 
he  fell  down  in  a  fit.  So  I  said  to  her,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Wast 
thou  with  us  ?  She  replied,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  hast  thou  not  heard  the  say- 
ing of  the  poet  ? 

The  hearts  of  lovers  have  eyes,  which  see  what  spectators  see  not 

But,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  she  added,  night  and  day  succeed  not  one  another 
during  the  course  of  an  event  without  changing  it.  Then  she  raised  her 
eyes  toward  heaven,  and  said,  O  Object  of  my  worship,  and  my  Master,  and 
my  Lord,  as  Thou  hast  afflicted  me  by  the  love  of  Jubir  the  son  of  Omir, 
so  do  thou  afflict  him  by  the  love  of  me,  and  transfer  the  affection  from  my 
heart  to  his !  After  this  she  gave  me  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  as  a  com- 
pensation for  my  walk,  and  I  took  it  and  repaired  to  the  Sultan  of  Balsora, 
whom  I  found  returned  from  the  chase  ;  and  I  received  from  him  my  ap- 
pointment, and  returned  to  Bagdad. 

And  when  the  next  year  arrived,  I  went  to  the  city  of  Balsora,  to  de- 
mand my  appointment,  as  usual,  and  the  sultan  paid  it  to  me  ;  and  when  I 
was  about  to  return  to  Bagdad,  I  reflected  in  my  mind  upon  the  case  of 
the  damsel  Badoura,  and  said,  By  Allah,  I  must  repair  to  her,  and  see  what 
hath  taken  place  between  her  and  her  beloved.  So  I  went  to  her  house  ; 
and  I  found  the  ground  before  her  door  swept  and  sprinkled,  and  servants 
and  dependents,  and  pages  there  ;  whereupon  I  said,  Probably  anxiety  hath 
overwhelmed  the  damsel's  heart,  and  she  hath  died,  and  some  one  of  the 
emirs  hath  taken  up  his  abode  in  her  house.  I  therefore  left  her  house, 
and  repaired  to  that  of  Jubir  the  son  of  Omir  Sheibani ;  and  I  found  its 
marble  benches  demolished,  and  found  not  pages  at  its  door,  as  usual :  so  I 
said  within  myself,  Probablyhe  hath  died.  Then  I  stood  before  the  door 
of  his  house,  and,  pouring  forth  tears,  bewailed  its  condition  in  these  verses  : 

0  my  lord,  who  hast  departed,  and  whom  my  heart  followeth,  return,  and  so  my 
festive  days  shall  be  renewed  to  me  ! 

1  pause  at  your  house,  bewailing  your  abode,  with  pouring  tears  and  with  con- 
vulsed eyelids. 

I  ask  the  house  with  its  mourning  remains,  Where  is  the  dispenser  of  beneficence 

and  favors  ? 
Go  thy  way  [it  answereth]  ;  for  the  friends  have  departed  from  the  dwelling,  and 

beneath  the  dust  are  buried. 
May  God  not  deprive  us  of  the  view  of  their  merits  in  all  their  extent,  and  be  their 

virtues  never  hidden. 

And  while  I  was  bewailing  the  people  of  the  house  in  these  verses,  O 
Prince  of  the  Faithful,  lo,  a  black  slave  came  forth  to  me  from  the  house, 
and  said,  O  sheikh,  be  silent!  May  thy  mother  be  bereft  of  thee! 
Wherefore  do  I  behold  thee  bewailing  this  house  in  these  verses  ?  So  I 
answered  him,  I  used  to  know  it  as  the  abode  of  one  of  my  sincere  friends. 
He  said,  And  what  was  his  name  ?  I  answered,  Jubir  the  son  of  ( >mir 
Sheibani.  And  he  said,  And  what  hath  happened  unto  him  ?  Praise  be 
to  God,  he  is  still  blessed  with  his  riches,  and  prosperity,  and  property  ;  but 
God  hath  afflicted  him  with  the  love  of  a  damsel  named  the  Lady  Ihidou- 
ra,  and  he  is  overwhelmed  by  his  love  of  her,  and  by  the  violence  of  his 
transport  and  torment,  so  that  he  is  like  a  great  rock  overthrown ;  for 

39 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 


if  1   m^^ywifwl 


,  The  slave  reproving  Ibn  Mausour. 

when  he  is  hungry,  he  saith  not  to  his  servants,  Give  nie  food  ;  and  when 
he  is  thirsty,  he  saith  not,  Give  me  drink.  And  I  said,  Ask  permission  for 
me  to  go  in  to  him.  O  my  master,  he  asked,  wouldst  thou  go  in  to  him 
who  understandeth,  or  to  him  who  understandeth  not  ?  I  answered,  I 
must  go  in  to  him,  whatever  be  the  case.  So  he  entered  the  house  and 
asked  permission,  and  then  returned,  giving  it  to  me. 

I  therefore  went  in  to  him,  and  I  found  him  like  a  mass  of  stone  thrown 
down,  understanding  neither  sign  nor  open  speech.  I  spoke  to  him ;  but 
he  answered  me  not ;  and  one  of  his  attendants  said  to  me,  O  my  master, 
if  thou  knowest  any  poetry,  recite  it  to  him,  and  raise  thy  voice  in  doing 
so ;  for  thereupon  he  will  be  aroused.  Accordingly,  I  recited  these  two 
verses : 

Hast  thou  relinquished  the  love  of  Badonra,  or  art  thou  stubborn?     And  dost  thou 

pass  the  night  wakeful,  or  do  thine  eyelids  sleep  ? 
If  thy  tears  continue  to  flow  in  torrents,  then  know  that  thou  wilt  pass  eternity  in 

Paradise. 
40 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 

And  when  he  heard  these  verses,  he  opened  his  eye  and  said  to  me,  Wel- 
come, O  Ibn  Mansour.  My  emaciation  hath  become  excessive.  And  I 
asked  him,  saying,  O  my  master,  is  there  any  thing  that  thou  wouldst  have 
me  do  for  thee  ?  He  answered,  Yes ;  I  desire  to  write  a  letter  to  her, 
and  to  send  it  to  her  by  thee  ;  and  if  thou  bring  me  her  answer,  thou  shalt 
receive  from  me  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold  ;  and  if  thou  bring  me  not  her 
answer,  thou  shalt  receive  from  me,  as  a  compensation  for  thy  walk,  two 
hundred  pieces  of  gold.  So  I  replied,  Do  what  seemeth  fit  to  thee.  And 
he  called  one  of  his  female  slaves,  and  said.  Bring  me  an  ink-case  and  a 
paper.  She  therefore  brought  him  what  he  demanded;  and  he  wrote 
tliese  verses : 

I  conjure  you.  by  Allah,  O  my  mistress,  act  gently  toward  me  ;  for  love  hath  de- 
prived me  of  my  reason  ! 

My  passion  for  you  hath  enslaved  me,  and  clad  me  with  the  garment  of  sickness, 
and  rendered  me  abject. 

I  was  wont,  before  this,  to  think  lightly  of  love,  and  regard  it,  O  my  mistress,  as 
an  easy  matter; 

But  when  it  had  shown  me  the  waves  of  its  sea,  I  submitted  to  God's  judgment 
and  excused  the  afflicted. 

If  you  will,  have  mercy,  and  grant  me  a  meeting;  and  if  you  will  kill  me,  still  for- 
get not  to  show  favor. 

He  then  sealed  the  letter  and  handed  it  to  me,  and  I  took  it  and  repaired 
with  it  to  the  house  of  Badoura.  I  began  to  raise  the  curtain  by  little  and 
little,  as  before  ;  and  lo,  ten  slave  girls,  high-bosomed  virgins,  resembling 
moons,  and  the  Lady  Badoura  was  sitting  in  the  midst  of  them,  like  the 
full  moon  in  the  midst  of  the  stars,  or  like  the  sun  unobscured  by  clouds  ; 
and  she  was  free  from  grief  and  pain.  And  while  I  was  looking  at  her, 
and  wondering  at  her  being  in  this  state,  she  cast  a  glance  toward  me,  and 
saw  me  standing  at  the  door ;  whereupon  she  said  to  me,  A  friendly,  and 
free,  and  ample  welcome  to  thee,  O  Ibn  Mansour  !  Enter !  So  I  entered, 
and,  having  saluted  her,  handed  to  her  the  paper ;  and  when  she  had  read 
it,  and  understood  its  contents,  she  laughed,  and  said  to  me,  O  Ibn  Man- 
sour, the  poet  lied  not  when  he  said, 

I  will  brook  my  love  for  thee  resolutely  till  a  messenger  from  thee  come  unto  me. 

O  Ibn  Mansour,  she  added,  I  will  now  write  for  thee  an  answer,  that  he 
may  give  thee  what  he  hath  promised  thee.  And  I  replied,  May  God 
compensate  thee  well !  Then  she  called  one  of  her  female  slaves,  and 
said,  Bring  me  an  ink-case  and  a  paper.  And  when  she  had  brought  her 
what  she  demanded,  she  wrote  to  him  some  harsh  verses.  I  therefore 
said  to  her.  By  Allah,  O  my  mistress,  there  remaineth  not  unto  him  before 
his  death  any  more  than  the  period  that  will  expire  on  his  reading  this  pa- 
per. I  then  tore  it,  and  said  to  her,  Write  to  him  something  different  from 
these  verses.  And  she  replied,  I  hear  and  obey  ;  but  she  wrote  to  him 
some  verses  more  severe  than  the  former  ones.  So  I  said  to  her,  By  Al- 
lah, O  my  mistress,  he  will  not  read  these  verses  without  his  soul's  quit- 
ting his  body.  She  replied,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  my  transport  hath  attained 
to  such  a  pitch  that  I  have  said  what  I  have  said.  I  rejoined,  Hadst  thou 
sa'ul  more  than  that,  it  had  been  just  in  thee  ;  but  a  disposition  to  pardon  is 
one  of  the  qualities  of  the  generous.  And  when  she  heard  my  words  her 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  she  wrote  to  him  a  note — by  Allah,  O  Prince  of 

11 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 

the  Faithful,  there  is  not  in  thine  assembly  any  one  who  can  write  the  like 
of  it.     She  wrote  in  it  these  verses  : 

How  long  shall  this  coyness  and  aversion  continue  ?    Thou  hast  satisfied  the  malice 

which  the  euviers  bore  me. 
Perhaps  I  did  wrong,  and  was  not  aware  of  it ;  then  inform  me  what  thou  hast 

been  told  concerning  me. 
I  desire  to  welcome  thee,  O  my  beloved,  as  I  welcome  sleep  to  my  eye  and  my 

eyelid  ; 
And  since  thou  hast  drunk  the  pure  cup  of  love,  if  thou  see  me  intoxicated,  do  not 

blame  me. 

And  when  she  had  finished  writing  the  letter  and  sealed  it,  she  handed 
it  to  me  ;  and  I  said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  verily  this  note  will  cure  the 
sick  and  satisfy  the  thirsty. 

I  took  the  letter  and  went  forth  ;  and  she  called  me  after  I  had  gone 
forth  from  her,  and  said  to  me,  O  Ibu  Mansour,  say  to  him,  She  will  be 
this  night  thy  guest.  So  I  rejoiced  at  this  exceedingly.  I  repaired  with 
the  letter  to  Jubir  the  son  of  Omir ;  and  when  I  went  in  to  him,  I  found 
him  with  his  eye  fixed  upon  the  door,  waiting  for  the  answer ;  and  as  soon 
as  I  handed  to  him  the  paper,  he  opened  it  and  read  it,  and  understood  its 
meaning,  and,  uttering  a  great  cry,  fell  down  in  a  fit.  And  when  he  re- 
covered, he  said,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  did  she  write  this  note  with  her  hand, 
and  did  she  touch  it  with  her  fingers  ?  O  my  master,  said  I,  and  do  peo- 
ple write  with  their  feet  ?  And  by  Allah,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  my 
words  to  him  were  not  ended  when  we  heard  the  clinking  of  her  anklets 
in  the  passage  as  she  entered.  On  beholding  her,  he  rose  upon  his  feet, 
as  though  he  no  longer  felt  any  pain,  and  embraced  her  as  the  letter  Lam 
embraces  Alif,*  and  the  disease  of  him  who  can  not  escape  from  his  ail- 
ment quitted  him.  Then  he  seated  himself;  but  she  sat  not;  so  I  said  to 
her,  O  my  mistress,  wherefore  hast  thou  not  sat  down  ?  She  auswrered, 
O  Ibn  Mansour,  I  will  not  sit  down  save  on  the  condition  that  hath  been 
made  between  us.  And  what,  I  asked,  is  that  condition  between  you  two  ? 
No  one,  she  answered,  knoweth  the  secrets  of  lovers.  She  then  put  her 
mouth  to  his  ear,  and  said  something  privately  to  him  ;  to  which  he  re- 
plied, I  hear  and  obey.  And  he  arose  and  whispered  to  one  of  his  slaves  ; 
whereupon  the  slave  absented  himself  for  a  while,  after  which  he  came 
back,  accompanied  by  a  cadi  and  twro  witnesses.  And  Jubir  arose,  and 
having  brought  a  purse  containing  a  hundred  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  said, 
O  cadi,  perform  the  ceremony  of  my  contract  of  marriage  to  this  damsel 
for  this  sum  as  a  dowry.  The  cadi  therefore  said  to  her,  Say,  I  consent 
to  that.  And  she  said  so.  So  they  performed  the  ceremony  of  the  con- 
tract;  and  after  that  the  damsel  opened  the  purse,  filled  her  hand  with 
part  of  its  coutents,  and  gave  to  the  cadi  and  the  witnesses.  Then  she 
handed  to  him  [Jubir]  what  remained  in  the  purse,  and  the  cadi  and  wit- 
nesses departed. 

I  sat  with  them  in  joy  and  gladness  until  the  greater  part  of  the  night 
had  passed,  when  I  said  within  myself,  They  are  two  lovers,  and  during  a 
long  period  they  have  been  separated ;  so  I  will  arise  immediately,  that  I 
majr  sleep  in  a  place  remote  from  them,  and  leave  them  together  alone. 
Accordingly  I  arose  ;  but  the  damsel  laid  hold  upon  my  skirts,  and  said  to 
me,  What  hath  thy  mind  suggested  to  thee  ?     I  answered,  Such  and  such 

*  These  two  letters  are  often  written  united  (in  this  way  £  or  W). 
42 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 


Marriage  of  Jubir  and  the  Lady  Badoura. 


tilings.  And  she  replied,  Sit,  and  when  we  desire  thy  departure  we  will 
dismiss  thee.  I  therefore  remained  sitting  with  them  until  the  approach 
of  the  dawn,  when  she  said,  O  Ibn  Mansour,  go  to  yon  private  chamber  ; 
for  we  have  furnished  it  for  thee,  and  it  is  thy  sleeping-place.  And  I 
arose  and  slept  in  it  until  the  morning ;  and  when  I  got  up,  there  came  to 
me  a  page  with  a  basin  and  ewer,  and  I  performed  the  ablution  and  recited 
the  morning  prayers  ;  after  which  I  sat.  And  while  I  was  sitting,  lo,  Ju- 
bir and  his  beloved  came  forth  from  a  bath  that  was  in  the  house,  wringing, 
each,  their  locks  ;  and  I  bade  them  good  morning,  congratulating  them  on 
their  safety  and  their  reunion,  and  said  to  Jubir,  What  beginneth  with 
stipulation  endeth  with  content.  He  replied,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth,  and 
thou  ait  entitled  to  liberal  treatment.  Then  calling  his  treasurer,  he  said 
to  him,  Bring  to  me  three  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  So  he  brought  him  a 
purse  containing  that  sum,  and  Jubir  said  to  me,  Do  us  the  favor  to  accept 
this.     But  I  replied,  I  will  not  accept  it  until  thou  inform  me  what  was  the 

•13 


STORY  OF  IBN  MANSOUR  AND  THE  LADY  BADOURA. 

cause  of  the  transition  of  the  love  from  her  to  thee,  after  that  excessive 
repulsion.  And  he  said,  I  hear  and  obey.  Know  that  we  have  a  festival 
called  the  Festival  of  the  New-year's  Days,  when  the  people  go  forth  and 
S*  embark  in  boats,  and  amuse  themselves  upon  the  river.  And  I  went  forth 
to  amuse  myself  with  my  companions,  and  saw  a  boat  wherein  were  ten 
slave  girls  like  moons,  and  this  Lady  Badoura  was  in  the  midst  of  them, 
having  her  lute  with  her  ;  and  she  played  upon  it  eleven  airs ;  after  which 
she  returned  to  the  first  air,  and  sang  these  verses  : 

Fire  is  cooler  than  the  fires  of  my  bosom ;  and  rock  is  softer  than  the  heart  of  my 

lord. 
Verily  I  wonder  at  his  composition,  with  a  heart  of  rock  in  a  body  soft  as  water. 

And  I  said  to  her,  Repeat  the  two  verses  and  the  air.  But  she  would  not. 
So  I  ordered  the  boatmen  to  pelt  her  ;  and  they  pelted  her  with  oranges 
until  we  feared  that  the  boat  in  which  she  was  would  sink.  Then  she 
went  her  way ;  and  this  was  the  cause  of  the  transition  of  the  love  from 
her  heart  to  mine.  I  therefore,  says  Ibn  Mansour,  congratulated  them  on 
their  reunion,  and,  taking  the  purse  with  its  contents,  repaired  to  Bagdad. 
And  the  bosom  of  the  caliph  was  dilated,  and  the  restlessness  and  the 
contraction  of  the  heart  that  he  suffered  ceased  to  trouble  him. 


Mesrour  the  executioner. 
44 


The  three  sage 


CHAPTER  XVIi. 

COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  THREE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY-SEVENTH 
NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  THREE  HUNDRED  AND 
SEVENTY-FIRST. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

There  was,  in  ancient  times,  in  the  country  of  the  Persians,  a  mighty 
king,  of  great  dignity,  who  had  three  daughters,  like  shining  full  moons  and 
flowery  gardens ;  and  he  had  a  male  child  like  the  moon.  He  observed 
two  annual  festivals,  that  of  the  New-year's  Day,  and  that  of  the  Autumnal 
Equinox;  and  it  was  his  custom,  on  these  occasions,  to  open  his  palaces, 
and  give  his  gifts,  and  make  proclamation  of  safety  and  security,  and  pro- 
mote the  chamberlains  and  lieutenants  :  the  people  of  his  dominions  also 
used  to  go  in  to  him  and  salute  him,  and  congratulate  him  on  the  festival. 

I" 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

offering  him  presents  and  servants  ;  and  he  loved  philosophy  and  geometry. 
And  while  the  king  was  sitting  on  the  throne  of  his  dominions,  on  a  certain 
day,  during  one  of  these  festivals,  there  came  in  to  him  three  sages  :  with 
one  of  them  was  a  peacock  of  gold ;  and  with  the  second  a  trumpet  of 
brass  ;  and  with  the  third  a  horse  of  ivory  and  ebony  :  whereupon  the  king 
said  to  them,  What  are  these  things,  and  what  is  their  use  ?  The  owner 
of  the  peacock  answered,  The  use  of  this  peacock  is,  that  whenever  an 
hour  of  the  night  or  day  passeth,  it  will  flap  its  wings  and  utter  a  cry. 
And  the  owner  of  the  trumpet  said,  If  this  trumpet  be  placed  at  the  gate 
of  the  city,  it  will  be  as  a  defender  of  it ;  for  if  an  enemy  enter  the  city, 
this  trumpet  will  send  forth  a  sound  against  him  ;  so  he  will  be  known  and 
arrested.  And  the  owner  of  the  horse  said,  O  my  lord,  the  use  of  this 
horse  is,  that  if  a  man  mount  it,  it  will  convey  him  to  whatever  country  he 
desireth.  Upon  this  the  king  said,  I  will  not  bestow  any  favor  upon  you 
until  I  make  trial  of  the  uses  of  these  things.  Then  he  made  trial  of  the 
peacock,  and  found  it  to  be  as  its  owner  had  said.  And  he  made  trial  of 
the  trumpet,  and  found  it  as  its  owner  had  said.  He  therefore  said  to  the 
two  sages  (the  owners  of  the  peacock  and  the  trumpet),  Request  of  me 
what  ye  will.  And  they  replied,  We  request  of  thee  that  thou  marry  to 
each  of  us  one  of  thy  daughters.  Whereupon  the  king  bestowed  upon 
them  two  of  his  daughters.  Then  the  third  sage,  the  owner  of  the  horse, 
advanced,  and,  having  kissed  the  ground  before  the  king,  said  to  him,  O 
king  of  the  age,  bestow  upon  me  like  as  thou  hast  bestowed  upon  my  com- 
panions. The  king  replied,  When  I  shall  have  made  trial  of  that  which 
thou  hast  brought.  And  upon  this  the  king's  son  advanced,  and  said,  O  my 
father,  I  will  mount  this  horse,  and  make  trial  of  it,  and  obtain  proof  of  its 
use.     So  the  king  replied,  O  my  son,  try  it  as  thou  desirest. 

The  king's  son  accordingly  arose,  and  mounted  the  horse,  and  urged  it 
with  his  feet;  but  it  moved  not  from  its  place.  He  therefore  said,  O  sage, 
where  is  its  rapidity  of  pace  of  which  thou  boastedst  ?  And  on  hearing 
this,  the  sage  came  to  him,  and  showed  him  a  turning-pin,  by  which  to 
make  it  ascend  ;  saying  to  him.  Turn  this  pin.  And  the  king's  son  turned 
it,  and  lo,  the  horse  moved,  and  soared  with  him  toward  the  upper  regions 
of  the  sky,  and  ceased  not  its  flight  with  him  until  he  was  out  of  sight  of 
the  people  ;  whereupon  the  prince  was  perplexed  at  his  case,  and  repented 
of  his  having  mounted  the  horse.  He  said,  The  sage  hath  made  use  of  a 
stratagem  to  destroy  me,  and  there  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God, 
the  High,  the  Great !  Then  he  began  to  examine  all  the  members  of  the 
horse ;  and  while  he  was  doing  so,  he  saw  a  thing  like  the  head  of  a  cock 
on  the  horse's  right  shoulder,  and  the  like  on  the  left  shoulder:  so  he  said, 
I  see  not  any  indication  excepting  these  two  buttons.  And  he  turned  the 
button  that  was  on  the  right  shoulder;  upon  which  the  horse  bore  him  up- 
ward with  increased  velocity  into  the  sky  :  so  he  took  off  his  hand  from  that 
button,  and  looking  at  the  left  shoulder,  and  seeing  the  button  that  was 
there,  he  turned  it ;  and  the  movements  of  the  horse  became  lessened  in 
velocity,  and  changed  from  ascending  to  descending.  It  ceased  not  to  de- 
scend with  him  toward  the  earth  by  little  and  little,  while  he  continued  to 
exercise  caution  for  his  safety  ;  and  when  he  saw  this,  and  knew  the  uses 
of  the  horse,  his  heart  was  filled  with  joy  and  happiness,  and  he  thanked 
God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  for  the  favor  that  He  had  shown  him  in 
saving  him  from  destruction.  He  ceased  not  to  descend  for  the  whole  of 
40 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

the  remainder  of*  the  day;  for  in  his  ascent  the  earth  had  become  distant 
from  him ;  and  he  turned  about  the  face  of  the  horse  as  he  desired,  while 
it  descended  with  him  :  when  he  would,  he  was  carried  downward  by  it ; 
and  when  he  would,  he  was  borne  by  it  upward. 

Now  when  he  had  obtained  what  he  desired  with  respect  to  the  horse, 
he  proceeded  on  it  toward  the  earth,  and  began  to  look  at  its  countries  and 
cities,  which  he  knew  not;  for  he  had  never  seen  them  before  during  the 
whole  of  his  life.  Aud  among  the  objects  that  he  beheld  was  a  city  con- 
structed in  the  most  excellent  manner,  in  the  midst  of  a  land  beautifully 
verdant,  with  trees  and  rivers ;  upon  which  he  meditated  in  his  mind,  and 
said,  Would  that  I  knew  what  is  the  name  of  this  city,  and  in  what  region 
it  is.  He  then  made  a  circuit  around  the  city,  viewing  it  attentively,  right 
and  left.  The  day  had  nearly  departed,  and  the  sun  was  about  to  set :  so 
he  said  within  himself,  I  have  not  found  any  place  in  which  to  pass  the 
night  better  than  this  city  :  I  will  therefore  pass  this  night  in  it,  and  in 
the  morning  I  will  return  to  my  family  and  my  royal  residence,  and  ac- 
quaint my  family  and  my  father  with  that  which  hath  happened  to  me,  and 
inform  him  of  the  things  that  mine  eyes  have  seen.  Accordingly,  he  began 
to  search  for  a  place  in  which  he  might  feel  secure  of  the  safety  of  himself 
and  his  horse,  aud  where  no  one  might  see  him  ;  and  while  he  was  thus 
engaged,  lo,  he  beheld,  in  the  midst  of  the  city,  a  palace  rising  high  into  the 
air,  surrounded  by  a  large  wall  with  high  battlements ;  whereupon  he  said 
within  himself,  This  place  is  agreeable. 

He  turned  the  button  that  caused  the  horse  to  descend,  and  ceased  not 
to  be  carried  downward  on  it  until  he  descended  steadily  on  the  flat  roof  of 
the  palace,  when  he  alighted  from  the  horse,  praising  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted!),  and  began  to  go  round  about  the  horse,  and  to  examine  it,  and 
said,  By  Allah,  he  who  made  thee  thus  was  an  expert  saee  ;  and  if  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  extend  the  term  of  my  life,  and  restore  me  to 
my  country  and  my  family  in  safety,  and  reunite  me  with  my  father,  I 
will  assuredly  bestow  every  favor  upon  this  sage,  and  treat  him  with  the 
utmost  beneficence.  He  then  sat  upon  the  roof  of  the  palace  until  he  knew 
that  the  inmates  had  betaken  themselves  to  sleep.  Hunger  and  thirst 
pained  him ;  for  since  he  had  parted  from  his  father  he  had  not  eaten 
food ;  and  he  said  within  himself,  Verily  such  a  palace  as  this  is  not  devoid 
of  the  necessaries  of  life.  He  therefore  left  the  horse  in  a  place  alone,  and 
walked  down  to  see  for  something  to  eat;  and  finding  a  flight  of  steps,  he 
descended  by  them  to  the  lower  part  of  the  building,  where  he  found  a 
court  paved  with  marble ;  and  he  wondered  at  this  place  and  at  the  beauty 
of  its  construction  ;  but  he  heard  not  in  the  palace  any  sound,  nor  the  cheer- 
ing voice  of  an  inhabitant.  So  he  paused  in  perplexiry,  and  looked  to  the 
right  and  left,  not  knowing  whither  to  go.  Then  he  said  within  himself, 
There  is  no  better  course  for  me  than  to  return  to  the  place  in  which  is  my 
horse,  and  to  pass  the  night  by  it ;  and  when  the  morning  cometh,  1  mount 
and  depart. 

But  while  he  was  addressing  himself  with  these  words,  he  beheld  a  light 
approaching  the  place  where  he  stood,  and,  looking  attentively  at  that  light, 
ho  found  that  it  was  with  a  party  of  female  slaves,  among  whom  was  a  beau- 
tiful damsel,  of  a  stature  like  the  letter  Alif,*  resembling  the  splendid  full 
moon,  as  the  poet  hath  said  : 

*  Tall  and  slender. 

47 


THE  STORY  OF  THE   MAGIC  HORSE. 


":" 


Descent  on  the  roof  of  tbe  palace  at  Sana. 


She  came  without  appointment,  in  the  gloom  of  nightfall,  like  the  full  moon  in  the 

dark  horizon  ; 
Slender-formed ;  there  is  none  among  the  creation  like  her  in  excellence  of  beauty 

or  the  charms  of  disposition. 
I  exclaimed,  when  my  eye  beheld  her  beauty,  Extolled  be  tbe  perfection  of  tbe 

Creator  of  mankind ! 
I  guard  her  from  the  eyes  of  every  person,  by  seeking  refuge  with  the  Lord  of  men 

and  of  the  daybreak. 

That  damsel  was  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  this  city  ;  and  her  father 
loved  her  with  so  great  an  affection  that  he  built  for  her  this  palace  ;  and 
whenever  her  heart  was  contracted,  she  used  to  come  hither,  together 
with  her  female  slaves,  and  to  remain  here  a  day,  or  two  days,  or  more ; 
after  which  she  returned  to  the  palace  where  she  generally  resided.  It 
48 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

happened  that  she  came  that  night  for  the  sake  of  diversion  and  dilatation 
of  the  mind,  and  she  walked  among  the  female  slaves,  attended  by  a  eunuch 
armed  with  a  sword ;  and  when  they  entered  the  palace,  they  spread  the 
furniture,  and  gave  vent  to  the  odors  from  the  perfuming  vessels,  and 
sported  and  rejoiced.  Now  while  they  were  thus  engaged,  the  king's  son 
rushed  upon  that  eunuch,  struck  him  a  blow  which  laid  him  prostrate,  and 
taking  the  sword  from  his  hand,  ran  upon  the  female  slaves  who  were 
with  the  king's  daughter,  and  dispersed  them  to  the  right  and  left.  And 
when  the  king's  daughter  saw  his  beauty  and  loveliness,  she  said,  Perhaps 
thou  art  he  who  demanded  me  in  marriage  yesterday  of  my  father,  and 
whom  he  rejected,  and  whom  he  asserted  to  be  of  hideous  aspect.  By 
Allah,  my  father  lied  in  saying  those  words  ;  for  thou  art  none  other  than 
a  handsome  person. 

Now  the  son  of  the  King  of  India  had  requested  her  of  her  father,  and 
he  had  rejected  him,  because  he  was  disagreeable  in  aspect;  and  she  im- 
agined that  the  prince  now  before  her  was  he  who  had  demanded  her  in 
marriage.  She  then  came  to  him,  and  embraced  and  kissed  him,  and  seated 
herself  with  him.  The  female  slaves,  however,  said  to  her,  O  our  mistress, 
this  is  not  the  person  who  demanded  thee  in  marriage  of  thy  father ;  for 
that  person  was  hideous,  and  this  is  handsome ;  and  he  who  demanded 
thee  of  thy  father,  and  whom  he  rejected,  is  not  fit  to  be  a  servant  to  this 
person;  but,  O  our  mistress,  verily  this  young  man  is  one  of  high  dignity. 
And  after  this  the  female  slaves  went  to  the  prostrated  eunuch,  and  roused 
him ;  whereupon  he  sprang  up  in  alarm,  and  searched  for  his  sword,  not 
finding  it  in  his  hand.  So  the  female  slaves  said  to  him,  He  who  took  thy 
sword,  and  laid  thee  prostrate,  is  sitting  with  the  king's  daughter.  Now 
the  king  had  charged  this  eunuch  with  the  office  of  guarding  his  daughter, 
in  his  fear  for  her  from  misfortunes  and  evil  accidents.  The  eunuch  there- 
fore arose  and  went  to  the  curtain,  and  when  he  raised  it,  he  saw  the 
king's  daughter  sitting  with  the  king's  son,  and  they  were  conversing  to- 
gether; and  as  soon  as  he  beheld  them,  he  said  to  the  king's  son,  O  my  mas- 
ter, art  thou  a  human  being  or  a  Genie  ?  To  which  the  king's  son  replied, 
Woe  to  thee,  O  most  ill-omened  of  slaves !  How  is  it  that  thou  regardest  the 
sons  of  the  Persian  kings  as  of  the  unbelieving  devils  ?  Then,  taking  the 
sword  in  his  hand,  he  said  to  him,  1  am  the  son-in-law  of  the  king,  and  he 
hath  married  me  to  his  daughter,  and  commanded  me  to  introduce  myself 
to  her.  So  when  the  eunuch  heard  these  words  from  him,  he  said  to  him, 
O  my  master,  if  thou  be  of  the  human  species,  as  thou  hast  asserted,  she 
is  suited  to  none  but  thee,  and  thou  art  more  worthy  of  her  than  any  other. 

The  eunuch  then  went  shrieking  to  the  king ;  and  he  had  rent  his  clothes 
and  thrown  dust  upon  his  head.  And  when  the  king  heard  his  crying,  he 
said  to  him,  What  hath  befallen  thee;  for  thou  hast  agitated  my  heart? 
Acquaint  me  quickly,  and  be  brief  in  thy  words.  He  therefore  answered 
him,  O  king,  go  to  the  assistance  of  thy  daughter;  for  a  devil  of  the  Genii, 
in  the  garb  of  human  beings,  and  having  the  form  of  the  sons  of  the  kings, 
hath  got  possession  of  her  :  therefore  seize  him.  And  when  the  king 
heard  these  words  from  him,  he  thought  to  slay  him,  and  said  to  him,  How 
came  it  to  pass  that  thou  wast  neglectful  of  my  daughter,  so  that  this  event 
befell  her?  He  then  went  to  the  palace  wherein  was  his  daughter,  and 
on  his  arrival  he  found  the  female  slaves  standing  there,  and  said  to  them, 
What  is  it  that  hath  happened  to  my  daughter?     They  answered  him,  O 

Vol.  II— C  49 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 


The  eunuch  throwing  dust  on  his  head. 

king,  while  we  were  sitting  with  her,  suddenly  there  rushed  upon  us  this 
young  man,  who  resembleth  the  full  moon,  and  than  whom  we  have  never 
seen  any  one  more  handsome  in  countenance,  with  a  drawn  sword  in  his 
hand  ;  and  we  inquired  of  him  respecting  his  business,  and  he  asserted 
that  thou  hadst  married  to  him  thy  daughter :  we  know  nothing  more  than 
this ;  and  we  know  not  whether  he  be  a  human  being  or  a  Genie  ;  but  he 
is  chaste  and  well  bred,  and  doth  not  addict  himself  to  that  which  is  dis- 
graceful. So  when  the  king  heard  their  words,  his  rage  was  cooled.  He 
then  raised  the  curtain  by  little  and  little,  and  looked,  and  beheld  the  king's 
son  sitting  with  his  daughter,  conversing  ;  and  he  was  of  most  comely  form, 
with  a  face  like  the  shining  full  moon. 

The  king  could  not  control  himself,  through  his  jealousy  for  his  daugh- 
ter. He  therefore  raised  the  curtain  and  entered,  with  a  drawn  sword  in 
his  hand,  and  rushed  upon  them  as  though  he  were  a  Ghoul.  The  king's 
son,  on  seeing  him,  said  to  her,  Is  this  thy  father?  She  answered,  Yes. 
And  upon  this  he  sprang  upon  his  feet,  and,  taking  his  sword  in  his  hand, 
shouted  at  the  king  with  an  amazing  cry,  which  terrified  him,  and  was  about 
to  attack  him  with  the  sword  ;  but  the  king,  perceiving  that  the  prince  was 
stronger  than  he,  sheathed  his  sword,  and  stood  until  the  king's  son  came 
up  to  him,  when  he  met  him  with  courtesy,  and  said  to  him,  O  young  man, 
art  thou  a  human  being  or  a  Genie  1  The  king's  son  replied,  Were  it  not 
that  I  respect  thy  right  and  the  honor  of  thy  daughter,  I  had  shed  thy 
blood.  How  is  it  thou  derivest  me  from  the  devils,  when  I  am  of  the  sons 
of  the  ancient  kings,  who,  if  they  desired  to  take  thy  kingdom,  would  make 
thee  totter  from  thy  glory  and  dominion,  and  despoil  thee  of  all  that  is  in  thy 
dwellings  ?  So  the  king,  on  hearing  his  words,  dreaded  and  feared  him ; 
but  said  to  him,  If  thou  be  of  the  sons  of  the  kings,  as  thou  hast  asserted, 
how  is  it  that  thou  hast  entered  my  palace  without  my  permission,  and  dis- 
honored me,  and  come  unto  my  daughter,  asserting  that  thou  art  her  hus- 
band, and  pretending  that  I  had  married  thee  to  her,  when  I  have  killed  the 
kings  and  the  sons  of  the  kings  on  their  demanding  her  of  me  in  marriage  ? 
And  who  will  save  thee  from  my  power,  when,  if  I  cried  out  unto  my 
slaves  and  my  young  men,  and  commanded  them  to  slay  thee,  they 
50 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

would  slay  thee  immediately?  Who,  then,  can  deliver  thee  from  my 
hand  ? 

The  king's  son,  however,  when  he  heard  these  words  from  him,  said  to 
the  Uing,  Verily  I  wonder  at  thee,  and  at  the  smallness  of  thy  penetration. 
Dost  thou  covet  for  thy  daughter  a  husband  better  than  myself;  and  hast 
thou  seen  any  one  more  firm  of  heart,  and  superior  in  requital,  and  more 
glorious  in  authority,  and  troops,  and  guards  than  I  am  ?  The  king  answered 
him,  No,  by  Allah  ;  but  I  would,  O  young  man,  that  thou  demand  her  in 
marriage  publicly,  that  I  may  marry  her  to  thee  ;  for  if  I  many  her  to 
thee  privately,  thou  Avilt  disgrace  me  by  so  taking  her.  And  the  king's 
son  replied,  Thou  hast  said  well ;  but,  O  king,  if  thy  slaves,  and  servants, 
and  troops  were  to  assemble  against  me  and  slay  me,  as  thou  hast  imagined, 
thou  wouldst  disgrace  thyself,  and  the  people  would  be  divided  with  respect 
to  thee,  some  believing,  and  others  accusing  thee  of  falsehood.  It  is  my 
opinion  that  thou  shouldst  relinquish  this  idea,  and  adopt  the  course  that  I 
will  point  out  to  thee.  So  the  king  said,  Propose  what  thou  wilt.  And 
the  king's  son  rejoined,  What  I  propose  to  thee  is  this :  either  that  thou 
meet  me  in  single  combat,  and  he  who  killeth  the  other  shall  be  more  de- 
serving and  worthy  of  the  kingdom  ;  or  else  that  thou  leave  me  this  night, 
and  when  the  morning  cometh,  that  thou  send  forth  to  me  thy  soldiers,  and 
troops,  and  young  men,  and  acquaint  me  with  their  number.  The  king  re- 
plied, Their  number  is  forty  thousand  horsemen,  besides  the  slaves  belong- 
ing to  me,  and  their  followers,  who  are  equal  in  nnmber.  And  the  king's 
son  said,  When  the  day  beginneth,  send  them  forth  to  me,  and  say  to  them, 
This  person  hath  demanded  of  me  my  daughter  in  marriage  on  the  con- 
dition that  he  will  meet  you  all  in  combat ;  and  he  hath  pretended  that  he 
will  overcome  and  subdue  you,  and  that  ye  can  not  prevail  against  him. 
Then  leave  me  with  them  to  combat  them ;  and  if  they  kill  me,  the  result 
will  be  more  proper  for  the  concealment  of  thy  secret  and  the  preserving 
of  thine  honor;  but  if  I  overcome  and  subdue  them,  then  am  I  such  a  per- 
son as  the  king  should  desire  for  his  son-in-law.  And  when  the  king  heard 
his  words,  he  approved  of  his  advice  and  accepted  it,  notwithstanding  that 
he  wondered  at  his  saying,  and  was  struck  with  terror  at  his  determina- 
tion to  meet  in  combat  all  his  army  that  he  had  described  unto  him.  Then 
they  sat  conversing. 

And  after  this  the  king  called  the  eunuch,  and  commanded  him  to  go 
forth  immediately  to  his  vizier,  and  to  desire  him  to  collect  all  the  troops,  and 
order  them  to  equip  themselves  with  their  arms,  and  to  mount  their  horses. 
So  the  eunuch  went  to  the  vizier  and  acquainted  him  with  that  which  the 
king  had  commanded.  And  upon  this  the  vizier  summoned  the  chiefs  of 
the  army  and  the  grandees  of  the  empire,  and  ordered  them  to  mount  their 
horses,  and  to  go  forth  equipped  with  the  weapons  of  war.  Meanwhile, 
the  king  continued  to  converse  with  the  young  man,  being  pleased  with  his 
conversation,  and  sense,  and  good  breeding ;  and  as  they  were  talking  to- 
gether, the  morning  arrived.  The  king  therefore  arose  and  went  to  his 
throne,  ordered  his  troops  to  mount,  and  caused  an  excellent  horse,  one  of 
the  best  that  he  possessed,  to  be  brought  before  the  king's  son,  commanding 
that  it  should  be  equipped  for  him  with  handsome  saddle  and  trappings. 
But  the  young  man  said  to  him,  O  king,  I  will  not  mount  until  I  take  a  view 
of  the  troops,  and  observe  them.  And  the  king  replied,  It  shall  bo  as  thou 
desirest.     Then  the  king  proceeded,  with  the  young  man  before  him,  until 

51 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

they  arrived  at  the  horse-course,  when  the  young  man  looked  at  the  troops 
and  their  number.  And  the  king  called  out,  O  companies  of  men,  a  young 
man  hath  come  unto  me  demanding  in  marriage  my  daughter,  and  I  have 
never  beheld  any  handsomer  than  he,  nor  any  stronger  in  heart,  nor  any 
greater  in  intrepidity  than  he  ;  and  he  hath  asserted  that  he  alone  will  over- 
come you  and  subdue  you,  and  pretendeth  that  ye,  even  if  your  number 
amounted  to  a  hundred  thousand,  would  be  in  his  estimation  but  few.  But 
when  he  cometh  forth  to  combat  you,  receive  him  upon  the  points  of  your 
spears  and  the  edges  of  your  swords  ;  for  he  hath  undertaken  a  great  en- 
terprise. 

i  The  king  then  said  to  the  young  man,  O  my  son,  do  as  thou  desirest  with 
them.  But  he  replied,  O  king,  thou  hast  not  treated  me  equitably.  How 
shall  I  go  forth  to  combat  them  when  I  am  on  foot  and  thy  people  are 
mounted  on  horses  ?  So  the  king  said  to  him,  I  desired  thee  to  mount,  and 
thou  refusedst.  Take  then  of  the  horses  and  choose  of  them  that  which 
thou  wilt.  He  replied,  None  of  thy  horses  pleaseth  me,  and  I  will  mount 
none  but  the  horse  on  which  I  came.  The  king  therefore  said  to  him,  And 
where  is  thy  horse  ?  He  answered  him,  It  is  on  the  top  of  thy  palace.  In 
what  place  in  my  palace?  asked  the  king.  He  answered,  On  the  roof  of 
the  palace.  And  when  the  king  heard  his  words,  he  said  to  him,  This  is 
the  first  instance  that  hath  appeared  of  thine  insanity.  O,  woe  to  thee  ! 
How  can  the  horse  be  upon  the  roof?  But  now  will  thy  veracity  be  dis- 
tinguished from  thy  lying.  Then  the  king  looked  toward  one  of  his  chief 
officers  and  said  to  him,  Go  to  my  palace,  and  bring  what  thou  shalt  find 
upon  the  roof.  And  the  people  wondered  at  the  words  of  the  young  man  ; 
one  saying  to  another,  How  can  this  horse  descend  the  stairs  from  the  roof? 
Verily  this  is  a  thing  the  like  of  which  we  have  never  heard !  Now  the 
person  whom  the  king  had  sent  to  the  palace  ascended  to  its  roof,  and  be- 
held the  horse  standing  there  ;  and  he  had  seen  none  more  handsome  than 
it ;  and  he  approached  it  and  examined  it,  and  found  it  to  be  of  ebony  and 
ivory.  Some  others  of  the  chief  officers  of  the  king  also  went  up  with  this 
person  ;  and  when  they  beheld  the  horse,  they  laughed  together,  and  said, 
Did  the  young  man  speak  of  such  a  horse  as  this  ?  We  imagine  that  he 
is  no  other  than  a  madman  ;  but  his  case  will  soon  appear  to  us  ;  and  per- 
haps he  may  be  a  person  of  great  importance.  They  then  raised  the  horse 
upon  their  hands,  and  carried  it  without  stopping  until  they  came  before 
the  king,  when  they  placed  it  before  him  ;  and  the  people  assembled  around 
it,  gazing  at  it,  and  wondering  at  the  beauty  of  its  make,  and  at  the  beauty 
of  its  saddle  and  bridle.  The  king  also  admired  it,  and  wondered  at  it  ex- 
tremely ;  and  he  said  to  the  king's  son,  O  young  man,  is  this  thy  horse? 
He  answered,  Yes,  O  king,  this  is  my  horse,  and  thou  shalt  see  a  wonder 
performed  by  it.  The  king  said  to  him,  Take  thy  horse  and  mount  it. 
But  he  replied,  I  will  not  mount  it  unless  the  troops  retire  to  a  distance 
from  it.  So  the  king  commanded  the  troops  that  were  around  him  to  re- 
tire from  it  as  far  as  an  arrow  might  be  shot. 

Then  said  the  young  man,  O  king,  I  am  going  to  mount  my  horse,  and 
charge  upon  thine  army,  and  disperse  them  to  the  right  and  left,  and  split 
their  hearts.  The  king  replied,  Do  what  thou  desirest,  and  pity  them  not ; 
for  they  will  not  pity  thee.  And  the  king's  son  went  to  the  horse  and 
mounted  it.  The  troops  were  arranged  in  ranks  before  him  ;  and  one  said 
to  another,  When  the  young  man  arriveth  between  the  ranks,  we  will  re- 
52 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

ceive  him  with  the  points  of  the  spears  and  the  edges  of  the  swords.  But 
one  of  them  said,  By  Allah,  it  is  a  calamity  !  How  shall  we  kill  this  young 
man  with  the  comely  face  and  the  surpassing  figure  ?  And  another  said, 
By  Allah,  ye  shall  by  no  means  reach  him  unless  after  a  great  event;  and 
the  young  man  hath  not  done  these  deeds  but  from  his  knowledge  of  his 
own  valor  and  pre-eminence.  And  when  the  king's  son  had  seated  him- 
self firmly  upon  his  horse,  he  turned  the  pin  of  ascent.  The  eyes  of  the 
spectators  were  strained  to  see  what  he  would  do  ;  and  his  horse  bestirred 
itself,  and  moved  about  with  violent  action,  until  it  had  performed  the  most 
extraordinary  of  the  motions  of  horses,  and  its  body  became  filled  with  air. 


M 


The  king's  son  on  the  magic  horse  amid  the  troops  at  Sana. 

Then  it  rose  and  ascended  into  the  sky.  So  when  the  king  saw  that  he 
had  risen  and  ascended  aloft,  he  called  out  to  his  troops,  and  said,  Woe  to 
you !  Take  him  before  he  escape  from  you.  But  his  vizier  and  lieuten- 
ants replied,  O  king,  can  any  one  catch  the  flying  bird  ?  This  is  none  other 
than  a  great  enchanter.  God  hath  saved  thee  from  him  ;  therefore  praise 
God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  for  thine  escape  from  his  hand. 

The  king,  therefore,  returned  to  his  palace,  after  he  had  witnessed  these 
acts  of  the  king's  son;  and  when  he  arrived  at  his  palace,  he  went  to  his 
daughter,  and  acquainted  her  with  that  which  had  happened  to  him  with 
the  king's  son  in  the  horse-course;  but  he  found  her  greatly  lamenting  for 
him,  and  for  her  separation  from  him,  and  she  fell  into  a  violent  sickness, 
and  took  to  the  pillow.  So  when  her  father  saw  her  in  this  state  he 
pressed  her  to  his  bosom,  kissed  her  between  the  eyes,  and  said  to  her,  O 
my  daughter,  praise  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  and  thank  Him  for  our 
escape  from  this  crafty  enchanter.  He  began  to  repeat  to  her  the  account 
of  the  deeds  of  the  king's  son  that  he  had  witnessed,  describing  to  her  how 
he  had  ascended  into  the  air.  But  she  listened  to  naught  of  her  father's 
words;  her  weeping  and  wailing  increased  in  violence,  and  afterward  she 
said  within  herself,  By  Allah,  I  will  not  eat  food,  nor  drink  any  beverage, 
until  God  reunite  me  with  him.     Therefore,  exceeding  anxiety  overcame 

53 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE 

her  father  the  king  on  account  of  this ;  the  state  of  his  daughter  afflicted 
him,  and  he  mourned  in  heart  for  her ;  and  every  time  that  he  addressed 
her  with  soothing  words,  she  only  increased  in  her  passion  for  the  young 
man.     Such  was  her  case. 

Now  as  to  the  king's  son,  when  he  had  ascended  into  the  sky,  being 
alone,  he  reflected  upon  the  beauty  of  the  damsel,  and  her  loveliness.  He 
had  inquired  of  the  king's  people  respecting  the  name  of  the  city,  and  the 
name  of  the  king,  and  that  of  his  daughter ;  and  that  city  was  the  city  of 
Sana.  He  then  prosecuted  his  journey  with  diligence  until  he  came  in 
sight  of  the  city  of  his  father;  and  after  he  had  made  a  circuit  around  the 
city,  he  bent  his  course  to  his  father's  palace,  and  descended  upon  the  roof. 
Having  left  his  horse  there,  he  descended  to  his  father,  and  went  in  to  him  ; 
and  he  found  him  mourning  and  afflicted  on  account  of  his  separation  ; 
therefore,  when  his  father  saw  him,  he  rose  to  him  and  embraced  him, 
pressing  him  to  his  bosom,  and  rejoicing  exceedingly  at  his  return.  And 
the  prince  inquired  of  his  father  respecting  the  sage  who  made  the  horse, 
saying,  O  my  father,  what  hath  fortune  done  with  him  ?  His  father  an- 
swered him,  May  God  not  bless  the  sage,  nor  the  hour  in  which  I  beheld 
him  ;  for  he  was  the  cause  of  thy  separation  from  us,  and  he  hath  been  im- 
prisoned, O  my  son,  since  thou  absentedst  thyself  from  us.  He  gave  or- 
ders, however,  to  release  him,  and  take  him  forth  from  the  prison,  and  bring 
him  before  him;  and  when  he  came  before  him,  he  invested  him  with  an 
honorary  dress  in  token  of  satisfaction,  and  treated  him  with  the  utmost 
beneficence,  but  would  not  marry  his  daughter  to  him.  So  the  sage  was 
violently  enraged  at  this,  and  repented  of  that  which  he  had  done,  knowing 
that  the  king's  son  had  become  acquainted  with  the  secret  of  the  horse  and 
the  mode  of  its  motion.  Then  the  king  said  to  his  son,  It  is  my  opinion 
that  thou  shouldst  not  approach  this  horse  henceforth,  nor  mount  it  after 
this  day ;  for  thou  kuowest  not  its  properties,  and  thou  art  deceived  respect- 
ing it.  The  king's  son  had  related  to  his  father  what  had  happened  to  him 
with  the  daughter  of  the  king,  the  lord  of  the  city,  and  what  had  happened 
to  him  with  her  father ;  and  his  father  said  to  him,  Had  the  king  desired  to 
slay  thee,  he  had  slain  thee  ;  but  the  end  of  thy  life  was  delayed. 

After  this  they  ate,  and  drank,  and  were  merry  ;  and  there  was  with  the 
king  a  handsome  slave  girl,  who  played  upon  the  lute  ;  and  she  took  the 
lute,  and  began  to  play  upon  it,  singing  of  absence,  before  the  king  and  his 
son  ;  and  she  sang  these  verses  : 

Think  not  that  absence  hath  made  me  forget;  for  if  I  forget  you,  what  shall  I  re- 
member? 

Time  passeth ;  but  never  shall  our  love  for  you  end ;  in  our  love  for  you  we  will 
die  and  be  raised. 

Then  anxious  thoughts  were  aroused  in  the  mind  of  the  king's  son  by  his 
love  of  the  damsel,  the  daughter  of  the  King  of  Sana  :  so  he  rose  and  went 
to  the  horse  and  mounted  it,  and  turned  the  pin  of  ascent ;  whereupon  it 
soared  with  him  into  the  air,  and  rose  with  him  toward  the  upper  region  of 
the  sky.  And  in  the  morning,  his  father  missed  him  and  found  him  not: 
he  therefore  went  up  to  the  top  of  the  palace  in  a  state  of  affliction,  and  he 
beheld  his  sou  mounting  into  the  air ;  and  upon  this  he  grieved  for  his  sep- 
aration, and  repented  extremely  that  he  had  not  taken  the  horse  and  con- 
cealed it.  He  said  within  himself,  By  Allah,  if  my  son  return  to  me,  1  will 
not  oreserve  this  horse,  that  my  heart  may  be  at  rest  respecting  my  son. 
54 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

And  he  resumed  his  weeping  and  wailing.  But  as  to  his  son,  he  ceased 
not  his  course  through  the  sky  until  he  came  to  the  city  of  Sana,  when  he 
descended  in  the  place  where  he  descended  the  first  time,  and  he  walked 
down  stealthily  until  he  came  to  the  chamber  of  the  king's  daughter ;  but 
he  found  neither  her  nor  her  female  slaves,  nor  the  eunuch  who  was  her 
guard ;  and  the  event  greatly  afflicted  him.  Then  he  went  about  search- 
ing for  her  through  the  palace,  and  at  last  he  found  her  in  a  different  cham- 
ber from  that  in  which  he  had  been  with  her.  She  had  taken  to  the  pil- 
low, and  around  her  were  the  female  slaves  and  nurses.  And  he  went  in 
to  them  and  saluted  them;  and  when  the  damsel  heard  his  speech,  she 
rose  to  him  and  embraced  him,  and  began  to  kiss  him  between  his  eyes, 
and  to  press  him  to  her  bosom.  He  said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  thou  hast 
rendered  me  desolate  during  this  period.  And  she  replied,  Thou  hast  ren- 
dered me  desolate  ;  and  had  thine  absence  from  me  continued  longer,  I  had 
perished  without  doubt.  O  my  mistress,  he  rejoined,  what  thoughtest 
thou  of  my  conduct  with  thy  father,  and  his  actions  to  me  ?  Were  it  not 
for  my  love  of  thee,  O  temptation  of  all  creatures,  I  had  slain  him,  and  made 
him  an  example  to  beholders ;  but  I  love  him  for  thy  sake.  And  she  said 
to  him,  How  couldst  thou  absent  thyself  from  me  ?  Can  my  life  be  pleas- 
ant after  thy  departure  ?  He  then  said  to  her,  Wilt  thou  comply  with  my 
desire,  and  listen  to  my  words  ?  She  answered  him,  Say  what  thou  wilt ; 
for  I  will  consent  to  that  which  thou  requirest  me  to  do,  and  will  not  oppose 
thee  in  any  thing.  And  he  said  to  her,  Journey  with  me  to  my  country 
aud  my  kingdom.     She  replied,  Most  willingly. 

So  when  the  king's  son  heard  her  words,  he  rejoiced  exceedingly,  and, 
taking  her  by  her  hand,  he  made  her  swear  by  God  (whose  name  be  ex- 
alted !)  that  she  would  do  so.  Then  he  led  her  up  to  the  roof  of  the  pal- 
ace, mounted  his  horse,  and  placed  her  on  it  behind  him,  and  after  he  had 
bound  her  firmly,  he  turned  the  pin  of  ascent  in  the  shoulder  of  the  horse, 
and  it  ascended  with  them  into  the  sky.  Upon  this  the  female  slaves  cried 
out,  and  acquainted  the  king  her  father,  and  her  mother,  who  thereupon 
came  up  in  haste  to  the  roof  of  the  palace  ;  and  the  king,  looking  up  into 
the  sky,  beheld  the  ebony  horse  soaring  with  them  in  the  air.  The 
king  was  agitated,  and  his  agitation  increased,  and  he  called  out  and  said,  O 
son  of  the  king,  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah  that  thou  have  mercy  upon  me,  and 
have  mercy  upon  my  wife,  and  that  thou  make  not  a  separation  between  us 
and  our  daughter!  The  king's  son,  however,  answered  him  not;  but  he 
imagined  that  the  damsel  repented  of  parting  from  her  mother  and  her  fa- 
ther ;  so  he  said  to  her,  O  temptation  of  the  age,  dost  thou  desire  that  1 
restore  thee  to  thy  mother  and  thy  lather?  O  my  master,  she  answered, 
by  Allah  that  is  not  my  desire  :  my  desire  is  rather  to  be  with  thee  wher- 
ever thou  shalt  be  ;  for  I  am  drawn  off  by  my  love  of  thee  from  every  thing 
else,  even  from  my  father  and  my  mother.  And  when  the  king's  son 
heard  her  reply,  he  rejoiced  exceedingly,  and  began  to  make  the  horse  pro- 
ceed gently  with  them,  that  it  might  not  disquiet  her;  and  he  ceased  not 
to  journey  on  with  her  until  he  beheld  a  green  meadow,  in  which  was  a 
spring  of  water.  There  they  alighted,  and  ate  and  drank  ;  after  which  the 
king's  son  mounted  his  horse  again,  took  her  up  behind  him,  and  bound  her, 
in  his  fear  for  her.  He  then  proceeded  with  her,  and  ceased  not  in  his 
course  through  the  air  until  he  arrived  at  the  city  of  his  father.  His  joy 
thereat  was  great ;  and  he  desired  to  show  to  the  damsel  the  seat  of  his 

55 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 


The  King  of  Sana  and  his  wife  supplicating  the  Persian  prince. 

power  and  the  dominion  of  his  father,  and  to  acquaint  her  that  the  domin- 
ion of  his  father  was  greater  than  that  of  her  father.  He  therefore  de- 
posited her  in  one  of  the  gardens  in  which  his  father  diverted  himself,  put 
her  in  a  private  chamber  that  was  furnished  for  his  father,  and  placed  the 
ebony  horse  at  the  door  of  that  chamber,  charging  the  damsel  to  guard  it, 
and  saying  to  her,  Sit  here  until  I  send  to  thee  my  messenger;  for  I  am 
going  to  my  father,  to  prepare  for  thee  a  palace,  and  to  display  to  thee  my 
dominion.  And  the  damsel  rejoiced  when  she  heard  from  him  these  words, 
and  replied,  Do  what  thou  desirest.  Then  it  occurred  to  her  mind  that 
she  was  not  to  enter  [the  city]  but  with  respect  and  honor,  as  was  suitable 
to  persons  of  her  rank. 

So  the  king's  son  left  her,  and  proceeded  until  he  arrived  at  the  city  and 
went  in  to  his  father  ;  and  when  his  father  saw  him,  he  rejoiced  at  his  com- 
ing, and  met  him  and  welcomed  him  ;  and  the  king's  son  said  to  his  father, 
Know  that  I  have  brought  the  king's  daughter  of  whom  I  informed  thee, 
and  I  have  left  her  without  the  city,  in  one  of  the  gardens,  and  come  to  ac- 
quaint thee  with  her  arrival,  that  thou  mayest  prepare  the  procession  of 
state,  and  go  forth  to  meet  her,  and  display  to  her  thy  dominion,  and  thy 
troops  and  guards.  The  king  replied,  Most  willingly.  And  immediately 
he  commanded  the  people  of  the  city  to  decorate  the  city  in  the  most 
56 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE 

handsome  manner,  and  rode  forth  in  a  procession  equipped  in  the  most 
perfect  manner  and  with  the  most  magnificent  decorations,  with  all  his 
soldiers  and  the  grandees  of  his  empire,  and  all  his  mamlouks  and  serv- 
ants. The  king's  son  also  took  forth,  from  his  palace,  ornaments  and  ap- 
parel, and  such  things  as  kings  treasure  up,  and  prepared  for  the  damsel  a 
camel  litter  of  green,  and  red,  and  yellow  brocade,  in  which  he  seated  In- 
dian, and  Greek,  and  Abyssinian  female  slaves,  and  he  displayed  wonder- 
ful treasures.  Then  he  left  the  camel  litter,  with  the  persons  that  were  in 
it,  and  went  on  before  to  the  garden ;  and  he  entered  the  private  chamber 
iu  which  he  had  left  the  damsel,  and  searched  for  her ;  but  found  her  not, 
nor  did  he  find  the  horse.  Upon  this  he  slapped  his  face  and  rent  his 
clothes,  and  began  to  go  round  about  through  the  garden,  with  a  mind  con- 
founded ;  after  which  he  returned  to  his  reason,  and  said  within  himself, 
How  did  she  learn  the  secret  of  this  horse,  when  I  did  not  acquaint  her 
with  aught  of  it  ?  But  perhaps  the  Persian  sage  who  made  the  horse  hath 
found  her,  and  taken  her,  as  a  requital  for  that  which  my  father  hath  done 
unto  him.  Then  the  king's  son  sought  the  keepers  of  the  garden,  and 
asked  them  who  had  passed  by  them,  saying,  Have  ye  seen  any  one  pass 
by  you  and  enter  this  garden?  And  they  answered,  We  have  not  seen 
any  one  enter  this  garden  except  the  Persian  sage ;  for  he  entered  to  col- 
lect useful  herbs.  So  when  he  heard  their  words,  he  was  convinced  that 
the  person  who  had  taken  the  damsel  was  that  sage. 

Now  it  happened,  in  accordance  with  destiny,  that,  when  the  king's  son 
left  the  damsel  in  the  private  chamber  that  was  in  the  garden,  and  repaired 
to  the  palace  of  his  father  to  make  his  preparations,  the  Persian  sage  en- 
tered the  garden  to  collect  some  useful  herbs,  and  smelled  the  odor  of  musk 
and  other  perfumes  with  which  the  air  was  impregnated ;  and  this  sweet 
scent  was  from  the  odor  of  the  king's  daughter.  The  sage  therefore  pro- 
ceeded in  the  direction  of  this  odor  until  he  came  to  the  private  chamber, 
when  he  saw  the  horse  that  he  had  made  with  his  hand  standing  at  the 
door  of  the  chamber.  So  when  the  sage  saw  the  horse,  his  heart  was 
filled  with  joy  and  happiness;  for  he  had  mourned  after  it  greatly  since  it 
had  gone  from  his  possession.  He  approached  it,  and  examined  all  its 
members,  and  found  it  sound  ;  but  when  he  was  about  to  mount  it  and  de- 
part, he  said  within  himself,  I  must  see  what  the  king's  son  hath  brought 
and  left  here  with  the  horse.  Accordingly,  he  entered  the  private  cham- 
ber, and  found  the  damsel  sitting  there,  resembling  the  shining  sun  in  the 
clear  sky.  As  soon  as  he  beheld  her,  he  knew  that  she  was  a  damsel  of 
high  dignity,  and  that  the  king's  son  had  taken  her,  and  brought  her  upon 
the  horse,  and  left  her  in  that  private  chamber  while  he  repaired  to  the 
city  to  prepare  for  her  a  stately  procession,  and  to  conduct  her  into  the  city 
with  respect  and  honor.  The  sage  therefore  went  in  to  her,  and  kissed 
the  ground  before  her;  and  she  raised  her  eyes  toward  him,  and,  looking 
at  him,  found  him  to  be  of  most  hideous  aspect  and  disagreeable  form ; 
and  she  said  to  him,  Who  art  thou  ?  He  answered  her,  O  my  mistress,  I 
am  the  messenger  of  the  king's  son,  who  hath  sent  me  to  thee,  and  com- 
manded me  to  remove  thee  to  another  garden,  near  unto  the  city.  And 
when  the  damsel  heard  from  him  these  words,  she  said  to  him,  And  where 
is  the  king's  son?  He  answered  her,  He  is  in  the  city  with  his  father, 
and  he  will  come  to  thee  immediately  with  a  grand  procession.  But  she 
said  to  him,  O  thou  !  could  not  the  king's  son  find  any  one  to  send  to  me 
C*  57 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

but  thee  ?  And  the  sage  laughed  at  her  words,  and  replied,  O  my  mis- 
tress, let  not  the  hideousness  of  my  face  and  the  disagreeableness  of  my 
aspect  deceive  thee  ;  for  hadst  thou  experienced  of  me  what  the  king's  son 
hath,  thou  wouldst  approve  of  me.  Verily  the  king's  son  hath  chosen  me 
especially  to  send  to  thee  on  account  of  the  hideousness  of  my  aspect  and 
the  horrible  nature  of  my  form,  through  his  jealousy  of  thee  and  his  love 
of  thee ;  for,  were  it  otherwise,  he  hath  of  mamlouks,  and  black  slaves, 
and  pages,  and  servants,  and  dependents,  an  abundance  that  can  not  be  cal- 
culated. 

So  when  the  damsel  heard  his  reply,  it  appeared  reasonable  to  her,  and 
she  believed  it,  and  arose  and  went  with  him,  putting  her  hand  in  his.  She 
then  said  to  him,  O  my  father,  what  hast  thou  brought  with  thee  for  me 
to  ride  ?  O  my  mistress,  he  answered,  the  horse  on  which  thou  earnest 
thou  shalt  ride.  She  replied,  I  can  not  ride  it  by  myself.  And  when  he 
heard  this  reply  from  her,  the  sage  smiled,  and  knew  that  he  had  got  pos- 
session of  her ;  and  he  said  to  her,  I  myself  will  ride  with  thee.  Then 
he  mounted,  and  mounted  the  damsel  behind  him,  and,  pressing  her  to  him, 
bound  her  tightly,  while  she  knew  not  what  he  desired  to  do  with  her. 
And  after  this  he  turned  the  pin  of  ascent,  whereupon  the  body  of  the 
horse  became  filled  with  air,  and  it  moved  and  bestirred  itself,  and  ascended 
into  the  sky,  and  continued  incessantly  bearing  them  along  until  it  was  out 
of  sight  of  the  city.  So  the  damsel  said  to  him,  O  thou  !  what  meant  that 
which  thou  saidst  respecting  the  king's  son,  when  thou  assertedst  that  he 
sent  thee  to  me  ?  The  sage  replied,  May  Allah  keep  the  king's  son  from 
every  thing  good  ;  for  he  is  base  and  vile  !  O,  woe  to  thee  !  she  exclaimed  ; 
how  is  it  that  thou  disobeyest  thy  lord  in  that  which  he  hath  commanded 
thee  to  do  ?  He  replied,  He  is  not  my  lord.  And  knowest  thou,  he  added, 
who  I  am  ?  She  answered  him,  I  know  thee  not  but  as  thou  hast  informed 
me  of  thyself.  And  he  said  to  her,  Verily  my  telling  thee  this  was  a 
stratagem  that  I  made  use  of  against  thee  and  against  the  king's  son.  I 
was  lamenting  constantly  for  this  horse  that  is  beneath  thee,  for  it  is  of  my 
making,  and  he  had  made  himself  master  of  it ;  but  now  I  have  obtained 
possession  of  it  and  of  thee  also,  and  have  tortured  his  heart  as  he  hath  tor- 
tured mine,  and  he  will  never  have  it  in  his  power  henceforth.  But  be  of 
good  heart  and  cheerful  eye;  for  I  shall  be  more  useful  to  thee  than  he. 
And  when  the  damsel  heard  his  words  she  slapped  her  face,  and  cried  out, 
O  my  grief!  1  have  neither  obtained  my  beloved  nor  remained  with  my 
father  and  my  mother  !  And  she  wept  violently  for  that  which  had  befall- 
en her,  while  the  sage  incessantly  proceeded  with  her  to  the  country  of 
the  Greeks,  until  he  descended  with  her  in  a  verdant  meadow  with  rivers 
and  trees. 

This  meadow  was  near  unto  a  city,  in  which  was  a  king  of  great  dig- 
nity ;  and  it  happened  on  that  day  that  the  king  of  the  city  went  forth  to 
hunt,  and  to  divert  himself,  and,  passing  by  that  meadow,  he  saw  the  sage 
standing  there,  with  the  horse  and  the  damsel  by  his  side.  And  the  sage 
was  not  aware  of  their  approach,  when  the  slaves  of  the  king  rushed  upon 
him,  and  took  him,  together  with  the  damsel  and  the  horse,  and  placed  all 
before  the  king,  who,  when  he  beheld  the  hideousness  of  his  aspect,  and 
the  disagreeableness  of  his  appearance,  and  beheld  the  beauty  of  the  dam- 
sel and  her  loveliness,  said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  what  relation  is  this 
sheikh  to  thee  ?  The  sage  hastily  answered,  and  said,  She  is  my  wife. 
58 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

and  the  daughter  of  my  paternal  uncle.  But  the  damsel  declared  that  he 
was  a  liar,  as  soon  as  she  heard  his  words,  and  said,  O  king,  by  Allah  I 
Know  him  not,  and  he  is  not  my  husband  ;  but  he  took  me  away  by  force 
and  stratagem.  And  when  the  king  heard  what  she  said,  he  gave  orders 
to  beat  the  sage ;  and  they  beat  him  until  he  almost  died.  Then  the  king 
commanded  that  they  should  carry  him  to  the  city  and  cast  him  into  the 
prison ;  and  so  they  did  with  him  ;  and  the  king  took  the  damsel  and  the 
horse  from  him  ;  but  he  knew  not  the  property  of  the  horse,  nor  the  mode 
of  its  motion.     Thus  did  it  befall  the  sage  and  the  damsel. 

As  to  the  king's  son,  he  put  on  the  apparel  of  travel,  and,  having  taken 
what  money  he  required,  journeyed  forth  in  a  most  evil  state,  and  quickly 


The  king's  son  on  his  journey  in  quest  of  the  damsel. 

endeavored  to  trace  them,  seeking  them  from  town  to  town,  and  from  city 
to  city,  and  inquiring  respecting  the  ebony  horse ;  and  every  one  who 
heard  his  mention  of  the  ebony  horse  wondered  at  it,  and  was  greatly  as- 

59 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

tonished  at  his  words.  Thus  he  continued  to  do  for  a  long  period;  but 
notwithstanding  his  frequent  questions  and  his  searching  for  them,  he  met 
with  no  tidings  of  them.  Then  he  journeyed  to  the  city  of  the  damsel's 
father,  and  there  inquired  for  her,  but  he  heard  no  tidings  of  her,  and  he 
found  her  father  mourning  for  her  loss.  So  he  returned,  and  repaired  to 
the  country  of  the  Greeks,  endeavoring  to  trace  them,  and  inquiring  re- 
specting them.  And  it  happened  that  he  alighted  at  one  of  the  khans,  and 
saw  a  party  of  the  merchants  sitting  conversing  ;  and  he  seated  himself 
near  them,  and  heard  one  of  them  say,  O  my  companions,  I  have  met  with 
a  wonderful  thing.  And  what  was  it?  they  asked.  He  answered,  I  was 
in  a  certain  district,  in  such  a  city  (and  he  mentioned  the  name  of  the  city 
in  which  was  the  damsel),  and  I  heard  its  inhabitants  talking  of  a  strange 
story,  which  was  this.  The  king  of  the  city  went  forth  one  day  to  hunt, 
attended  by  a  party  of  his  associates  and  the  grandees  of  his  empire  ;  and 
when  they  went  forth  into  the  desert,  they  passed  by  a  verdant  meadow, 
and  found  there  a  man  standing,  and  by  his  side  a  woman  sitting,  and  with 
him  a  horse  of  ebony.  As  to  the  man,  he  was  of  hideous  aspect,  very 
horrible  in  form ;  and  as  to  the  woman,  she  was  a  damsel  endowed  with 
beauty,  and  loveliness,  and  elegance,  and  perfect  grace,  and  justness  of 
stature ;  and  as  to  the  ebony  horse,  it  was  a  wonderful  thing  ;  eyes  have 
not  beheld  its  superior  in  beauty  or  in  comeliness  of  make.  The  persons 
present  said  to  him,  And  what  did  the  king  with  them  ?  He  answered, 
As  to  the  man,  the  king  took  him,  and  asked  him  respecting  the  damsel, 
and  he  pretended  that  she  was  his  wife,  and  the  daughter  of  his  paternal 
uncle.  But  as  to  the  damsel,  she  declared  that  he  lied  in  his  assertion. 
So  the  king  took  her  from  him,  and  gave  orders  to  beat  him,  and  to  cast 
him  into  the  prison.  And  as  to  the  ebony  horse,  I  know  not  what  became 
of  it.  When  the  king's  son,  therefore,  heard  these  words  from  the  mer- 
chant, he  approached  him,  and  proceeded  to  question  him  with  mildness 
and  courtesy  until  he  acquainted  him  with  the  name  of  the  city  and  the 
name  of  its  king ;  and  when  he  knew  the  name  of  the  city  and  that  of  its 
king,  he  passed  the  night  happy  ;  and  in  the  morning  he  went  forth  on  his 
journey. 

He  ceased  not  to  prosecute  his  journey  until  he  arrived  at  that  city ;  but 
when  he  desired  to  enter  it,  the  gate-keepers  took  him,  and  would  have 
conducted  him  into  the  presence  of  the  king,  that  he  might  inquire  of  him 
respecting  his  condition,  and  of  the  cause  of  his  coming  into  that  city,  and 
as  to  what  art  or  trade  he  was  skilled  in  ;  for  so  was  the  king's  custom  to 
question  the  strangers  respecting  their  conditions  and  their  arts  or  trades. 
But  the  arrival  of  the  king's  son  at  that  city  happened  to  be  at  eventide ; 
and  that  was  a  time  at  which  it  was  not  possible  to  go  in  to  the  king,  or  to 
consult  respecting  him.  So  the  gate-keepers  took  him  and  conducted  him 
to  the  prison,  to  put  him  in  it.  When  the  jailers,  however,  saw  his  beauty 
and  loveliness,  they  could  not  bear  to  put  him  into  the  prison :  on  the  con- 
trary, they  seated  him  with  themselves,  outside  the  prison;  and  when  the 
food  was  brought  to  them,  he  ate  with  them  until  he  was  satisfied ;  and 
after  they  had  finished  eating,  they  sat  conversing,  and,  addressing  the 
king's  son,  they  said  to  him,  From  what  country  art  thou  ?  He  answered, 
I  am  from  the  country  of  Persia,  the  country  of  the  ancient  kings.  And 
when  they  heard  his  answer,  they  laughed,  and  one  of  them  said  to  him, 
O  Persian,  I  have  heard  the  sayings  of  men,  and  their  histories,  and  have 
60 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

observed  their  conditions ;  but  I  have  neither  seen,  nor  heard  of,  a  greater 
liar  than  this  Persian  who  is  with  us  in  the  prison.  And  another  said,  Nor 
have  I  seen  any  one  more  hideous  than  he  in  person,  or  more  disagreeable 
than  he  in  form. 

So  the  king's  son  said  to  them,  What  instance  of  his  lying  hath  appeared 


K  mi;  equipped  lor  the  chase. 


Gl 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  iMAGIC  HORSE. 

unto  you  ?  They  answered,  He  pretendeth  that  he  is  a  sage,  and  the 
king  saw  him  as  he  was  going  to  hunt,  and  with  him  a  woman  of  surpris- 
ing beauty,  and  loveliness,  and  elegance,  and  perfect  grace,  and  justness  of 
stature,  and  there  was  with  him  also  a  horse  of  black  ebony,  than  which 
we  have  never  seen  any  more  handsome.  As  to  the  damsel,  she  is  with 
the  king,  and  he  loveth  her ;  but  the  woman  is  mad  ;  and  if  that  man  were 
a  sage,  as  he  pretendeth,  he  had  cured  her;  for  the  king  is  striving  to  find 
her  remedy,  desiring  to  recover  her  of  her  malady.  As  to  the  ebony  horse, 
it  is  in  the  king's  treasury ;  and  as  to  the  man  of  hideous  aspect,  who  was 
with  it,  he  is  with  us  in  the  prison;  and  when  the  night  overshadoweth 
him,  he  weepeth  and  waileth  in  his  grief  for  himself,  and  suffereth  us  not 
to  sleep.  Now  when  the  keepers  of  the  prison  acquainted  the  king's  son 
with  these  circumstances,  it  occurred  to  his  mind  that  he  might  contrive  a 
plan  by  means  of  which  to  attain  his  desire.  And  when  the  gate-keepers 
desired  to  sleep,  they  put  him  into  the  prison,  and  closed  the  door  upon 
him  ;  and  he  heard  the  sage  weeping  and  lamenting  for  himself  in  the  Per- 
sian language,  and  saying  in  his  lamentation,  Woe  unto  me  for  the  injus- 
tice that  I  have  committed  against  myself  and  against  the  king's  son,  and 
for  that  which  I  did  unto  the  damsel,  since  I  neither  left  her  nor  accom- 
plished my  desire.  All  this  arose  from  my  ill  management ;  for  I  sought 
for  myself  that,  which  I  deserved  not,  and  which  was  not  suited  to  me  ;  and 
he  who  seeketh  that  which  is  not  suited  to  him  falleth  into  a  calamity  like 
that  into  which  I  have  fallen.  And  when  the  king's  son  heard  these  words 
of  the  sage,  he  spoke  to  him  in  the  Persian  language,  saying,  How  long 
wilt  thou  continue  this  weeping  and  lamentation  ?  Dost  thou  think  that 
such  a  misfortune  hath  befallen  thee  as  hath  not  befallen  any  besides  thee  ? 
And  the  sage,  on  hearing  his  words,  was  cheered  by  him,  and  complained 
to  him  of  his  case,  and  of  the  distress  he  experienced. 

Then,  when  the  morning  came,  the  gate-keepers  took  the  king's  son 
and  conducted  him  to  the  king,  and  informed  him  that  he  had  arrived  at  the 
city  on  the  preceding  day,  at  a  time  when  it  was  impossible  to  go  in  unto 
the  king.  So  the  king  questioned  him,  and  said  to  him,  From  what  coun- 
try art  thou,  and  what  is  thy  name,  and  what  thy  art  or  trade,  and  what 
the  reason  of  thy  coming  unto  this  city  ?  And  the  king's  son  answered, 
As  to  my  name,  it  is,  in  the  Persian  language,  Harja;  and  as  to  my  coun- 
try, it  is  the  country  of  Persia ;  and  I  am  of  the  men  of  science,  espe- 
cially the  science  of  medicine ;  for  I  cure  the  sick  and  the  mad  ;  and  for 
this  purpose  I  travel  about  through  the  regions  and  cities,  to  profit  myself 
by  adding  science  to  my  science  ;  and  when  I  see  a  sick  person,  I  cure  him. 
This  is  my  occupation.  And  when  the  king  heard  his  words,  he  rejoiced 
at  them  exceedingly,  and  said  to  him,  O  excellent  sage,  thou  hast  come  to 
us  at  a  time  when  we  need  thee.  Then  he  acquainted  him  with  the  case 
of  the  damsel,  aud  said  to  him,  If  thou  cure  her,  and  recover  her  of  her 
madness,  thou  shalt  receive  from  me  all  that  thou  shalt  desire.  And  the 
king's  son,  on  hearing  this,  replied,  May  God  confirm  the  power  of  the  king  ! 
Describe  to  me  every  thing  that  thou  hast  observed  of  her  madness,  and  in- 
form me  how  many  days  ago  this  madness  attacked  her,  and  how  thou  took- 
est  her,  and  the  horse,  and  the  sage.  He  therefore  acquainted  him  with 
the  matter  from  beginning  to  end,  and  said  to  him,  The  sage  is  in  the  pris- 
on. And  the  king's  son  said,  O  happy  king,  and  what  hast  thou  done  with 
the  horse  that  was  with  them  ?  The  king  answered  him,  It  remaineth 
62 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

with  me  to  the  present  time,  preserved  in  one  of  the  private  chambers. 
So  the  king's  son  said  within  himself,  It  is  my  opinion  that  I  should  exam- 
ine the  horse  before  every  thing  else,  and  if  it  be  sound,  and  no  accident 
have  happened  to  it,  all  that  I  desire  is  accomplished  ;  but  if  I  see  that  its 
motions  are  destroyed,  I  will  yet  devise  some  stratagem  to  save  my  life. 
Then  looking  toward  the  king,  he  said  to  him,  O  king,  it  is  requisite  that  I 
see  the  horse  which  thou  hast  mentioned.  Perhaps  I  may  find  in  it  some- 
thing that  will  aid  me  to  recover  the  damsel.  The  king  replied,  Most  will- 
ingly. And  he  arose,  and,  taking  him  by  the  hand,  led  him  in  to  the  horse  ; 
whereupon  the  king's  son  began  to  go  round  about  the  horse,  and  to  exam- 
ine it  and  observe  its  condition;  and  he  found  it  sound,  without  any  de- 
fect. He  therefore  rejoiced  at  it  exceedingly,  and  said,  May  God  confirm 
the  power  of  the  king !  I  desire  tp  go  in  to  the  damsel,  that  I  may  see  how 
she  will  act ;  and  I  beg  of  God  that  her  recovery  may  be  effected  by  me, 
by  means  of  the  horse,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted ! 

He  gave  orders  to  take  care  of  the  horse,  and  the"  king  conducted  him 
to  the  chamber  in  which  was  the  damsel.  And  when  the  king's  son  went 
in  to  her,  he  found  her  beating  herself,  and  falling  down  prostrate,  as  usual ; 


The  damsel  feigning  madness. 


but  she  was  affected  by  no  madness,  and  only  did  thus  that  no  one  might 
approach  her.  So  the  king's  son,  on  seeing  her  in  this  state,  said  to  her, 
No  harm  shall  befall  thee,  O  temptation  to  all  creatures  !  Then  he  began 
to  address  her  gently  and  courteously  until  he  acquainted  her  with  him- 
self; and  when  she  knew  him,  she  uttered  a  great  cry,  and  fell  down  in  a 
fit  through  the  violence  of  the  joy  that  she  experienced  ;  and  the  king 

63 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

imagined  that  this  fit  was  occasioned  by  her  fear  of  him.  And  the  king's 
son  put  his  mouth  to  her  ear,  and  said  to  her,  O  temptation  to  all  creatures, 
spare  my  life  and  thine,  and  be  patient  and  firm  ;  for  this  is  a  place  where- 
in we  stand  in  need  of  patience  and  good  management  in  devising  strata- 
gems to  make  our  escape  from  this  tyrannical  king.  A  part  of  my  strata- 
gem shall  be,  that  I  go  forth  to  him  and  say  to  him,  The  disease  that  she 
suft'ereth  ariseth  from  her  being  possessed  by  a  Genie,  and  I  promise  thee 
her  recovery.  And  I  will  make  a  condition  with  him  that  he  shall  loose 
thy  bonds,  and  will  assure  him  that  this  Genie  which  hath  afflicted  thee 
will  be  dispelled  from  thee.  Therefore  if  he  come  in  to  thee,  address  him 
with  pleasant  words,  that  he  may  see  that  thou  hast  recovered  through  my 
means,  and  so  shall  all  that  we  desire  be  accomplished.  And  she  replied,  I 
hear  and  obey.  He  then  went  forth  from  her,  and,  returning  to  the  king 
full  of  joy  and  happiness,  said,  O  fortunate  king,  I  have  discovered,  through 
thy  good  fortune,  her  remedy  and  cure,  and  I  have  cured  her  for  thee. 
Arise,  then,  and  go  in  to  her,  and  speak  gently  and  mildly  to  her,  and  prom- 
ise her  that  which  shall  rejoice  her ;  for  all  that  thou  desirest  of  her  shall 
be  accomplished  for  thee.  The  king  therefore  arose  and  went  in  to  her; 
and  when  she  saw  him  she  rose  to  him,  and  kissed  the  ground  before  him, 
and  welcomed  him ;  whereat  the  king  rejoiced  exceedingly.  He  ordered 
the  female  slaves  and  eunuchs  to  betake  themselves  to  serve  her,  to  con- 
duct her  into  the  bath,  and  to  prepare  for  her  the  ornaments  and  apparel. 
So  they  went  in  to  her  and  saluted  her,  and  she  returned  their  salutation 
with  the  most  courteous  utterance  and  the  most  pleasant  words.  Then 
they  attired  her  in  royal  apparel,  put  upon  her  neck  a  necklace  of  jew- 
els, conducted  her  to  the  bath,  served  her,  and  brought  her  out  from  the 
bath,  resembling  the  full  moon.  And  when  she  came  to  the  king,  she  sa- 
luted him,  and  kissed  the  ground  before  him. 

The  king  therefore  was  greatly  rejoiced  at  seeing  her  thus,  and  said  to 
the  king's  son,  All  this  is  occasioned  by  the  blessings  attendant  upon  thee  ! 
May  God  increase  to  us  thy  benefactions  !  And  the  king's  son  replied,  O 
king,  the  perfection  of  her  recovery  and  the  completion  of  her  affair  must 
be  effected  by  thy  going  forth  with  all  thy  guards  and  thy  soldiers  to  the 
place  where  thou  foundest  her,  and  the  ebony  horse  that  was  with  her 
must  be  taken  with  thee,  that  I  may  there  confine  from  her  the  Genie  that 
hath  afflicted  her,  and  imprison  him  and  kill  him,  so  that  he  may  never  re- 
turn to  her.  The  king  said,  Most  willingly.  Accordingly,  he  sent  forth 
the  ebony  horse  to  the  meadow  in  which  he  had  found  the  damsel  with  the 
horse  and  the  Persian  sage,  and  the  king  mounted  with  his  troops,  taking 
the  damsel  with  him ;  and  they  knew  not  what  he  desired  to  do.  And 
when  they  arrived  at  that  meadow,  the  king's  son,  who  feigned  himself  a 
sage,  ordered  that  the  damsel  and  the  horse  should  be  placed  as  far  from 
the  king  and  the  troops  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  said  to  the  king,  With 
thy  permission  and  leave,  I  desire  to  burn  perfumes,  and  to  recite  a  form 
of  exorcism,  and  imprison  the  Genie  here,  that  he  may  never  return  to  her. 
After  which  I  will  mount  the  ebony  horse,  and  mount  the  damsel  behind 
me ;  and  when  I  have  done  that,  the  horse  will  move  about  with  violent 
action,  and  walk  forward  until  it  cometh  to  thee,  when  the  affair  will  be 
finished,  and  thou  shalt  do  with  her  what  thou  wilt.  And  when  the  king 
heard  his  words,  he  rejoiced  exceedingly.  Then  the  king's  son  mounted 
the  horse  and  placed  the  damsel  behind  him,  while  the  king  and  ail  his 
64 


Flight  of  the  king's  son  and  the  damsel  from  amid 
the  Greek  troops. 

troops  looked  at  him.  And  he  pressed  her 
to  him,  and  bound  her  firmly,  and  turned 
the  pin  of  ascent;  whereupon  the  horse 
rose  with  them  into  the  air.  The  troops 
continued  gazing  at  him  until  he  disappear- 
ed from  before  their  eyes  ;  and  the  king 
remained  half  a  day  expecting  his  return  to 
him  ;  but  he  returned  not ;  so  he  despaired 
of  him,  and  repented  greatly,  and  grieved 
for  the  separation  of  the  damsel.  Then  he 
took  his  troops  and  returned  to  his  city. 

But  as  to  the  king's  son,  he  bent  his 
course  to  the  city  of  his  father,  full  of  joy 
and  happiness,  and  ceased  not  in  his  journey 
until  he  descended  upon  his  palace,  when 
he  took  down  the  damsel  into  the  palace, 
and  felt  secure  of  her.  He  then  repaired 
to  his  father  and  his  mother,  and  saluted 
them,  and  acquainted  them  with  the  ar- 
rival of  the  damsel;  whereat  they  rejoiced 
exceedingly.  Meanwhile,  the  King  of  the 
Greeks,  when  he  returned  to  his  city,  se- 

G5 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MAGIC  HORSE. 

eluded  himself  in  his  palace,  mourning  and  afflicted.  So  his  viziers  went 
in  to  him  and  began  to  console  him,  saying  to  him,  Verily  he  who  took  the 
damsel  is  an  enchanter ;  and  praise  be  to  God  who  hath  saved  thee  from 
his  enchantment  and  craftiness.  And  they  ceased  not  until  he  was  con- 
soled for  the  loss  of  her.  And  as  to  the  king's  son,  he  made  magnificent 
banquets  for  the  people  of  the  city,  and  they  continued  the  rejoicings  for  a 
whole  month ;  after  which  he  took  the  damsel  as  his  wife,  and  they  were 
delighted  with  each  other  exceedingly.  And  his  father  broke  the  ebony 
horse,  and  destroyed  its  motions.  Then  the  king's  son  wrote  a  letter  to 
the  father  of  the  damsel,  and  in  it  described  to  him  his  state,  informing  him 
that  he  had  married  the  damsel,  and  that  she  was  with  him  in  the  most 
happy  condition.  He  sent  it  to  him  by  a  messenger  bearing  precious  pres- 
ents and  rarities ;  and  when  the  messenger  arrived  at  the  city  of  the  dam- 
sel's father,  which  was  Sana,  in  Arabia  Felix,  he  transmitted  the  letter,  with 
the  presents,  to  that  king,  who  on  reading  the  letter  rejoiced  exceedingly, 
accepted  the  presents,  and  treated  the  messenger  with  honor.  He  then 
prepared  a  magnificent  present  for  his  son-in-law,  the  king's  son,  and  sent 
it  to  him  by  that  messenger,  who  returned  with  it  to  the  king's  son,  and 
informed  him  of  the  joy  which  the  king,  the  father  of  the  damsel,  experi- 
enced when  he  brought  him  the  news  of  his  daughter.  At  this  the  king's 
son  was  affected  with  great  happiness ;  and  every  year  he  wrote  to  his  fa- 
ther-in-law and  sent  him  a  present. 

Thus  they  continued  until  the  king,  the  father  of  the  young  man,  was 
taken  from  the  world  ;  and  the  young  man  reigned  after  him  over  his  do- 
minions. He  ruled  his  subjects  with  equity,  and  conducted  himself  among 
them  in  a  laudable  manner  ;  the  country  was  subject  to  him,  and  the  people 
obeyed  him  ;  and  thus  they  remained,  passing  the  most  delightful,  and  most 
agreeable,  and  most  comfortable,  and  most  pleasant  life,  until  they  were 
visited  by  the  terminator  of  delights  and  the  separator  of  companions,  the 
devastator  of  palaces  and  the  replenisher  of  the  graves.  Extolled,  then,  be 
the  perfection  of  the  Living  who  dieth  not,  and  in  whose  hand  is  the  do- 
minion that  is  apparent  and  the  dominion  that  is  hidden ! 
66 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  THREE  HUNDRED  AND  SEVENTY-FIRST 
NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  THREE  HUNDRED  AND  EIGHTY- 
FIRST. 


THE  STORY  OF  ANSA1  WA.IOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

There  was,  in  ancient  times,  a  king  of  great  dignity,  possessed  of  glory 
and  absolute  power,  and  he  had  a  vizier  named  Ibrahim,  who  had  a  daugh- 
ter of  surprising  beauty  and  loveliness,  surpassing  in  elegance  and  in  eveiy 
grace,  endowed  with  abundant  sense  and  eminent  polite  accomplishments; 
but  she  loved  carousing  and  wine,  and  comely  faces,  and  pretty  verses,  and 
strange  histories.     The  delicacy  of  her  charms  enticed  the  minds  of  mau- 

67 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

kind  to  love.  Her  name  was  Rose  in  Bloom;  and  the  reason  of  her  being 
so  named  was  her  excessive  delicacy  of  beauty,  and  her  perfect  elegance  ; 
and  the  king  was  fond  of  carousing  with  her,  on  account  of  her  accomplish- 
ed manners. 

Now  it  was  the  custom  of  the  king,  every  year,  to  collect  the  chief  men 
of  his  dominions,  and  to  p'ay  with  the  ball.  And  on  one  of  those  days 
when  he  did  so,  the  daughter  of  the  vizier  sat  at  a  lattice  window  to  amuse 
herself;  and  while  they  were  engaged  in  the  game,  she  cast  a  glance,  and 
beheld  among  the  soldiers  a  young  man,  than  whom  there  was  none  more 
handsome  in  aspect,  nor  any  more  beautiful  in  appearance  ;  bright  in  coun- 
tenance, with  laughing  teeth,  generous,  wide-shouldered.  She  looked  at 
him  again  and  again,  and  was  not  satiated  with  gazing  at  him;  and  she  said 
to  her  nurse,  What  is  the  name  of  this  young  man  of  comely  qualities,  who 
is  among  the  soldiers  ?  The  nurse  replied,  O  my  daughter,  all  of  them 
are  comely.  Who,  then,  among  them  ?  Wait,  rejoined  the  damsel,  until 
I  point  him  out  to  thee.  And  she  took  an  apple  and  threw  it  upon  him. 
So  he  raised  his  head  and  beheld  the  vizier's  daughter  at  the  window,  re- 
sembling the  full  moon  in  the  darkness  of  night ;  and  he  withdrew  not  his 
eye  without  his  heart's  being  engrossed  by  love  for  her ;  and  he  recited  the 
saying  of  the  poet : 

Hath  the  archer  shot  me,  or  have  thine  eyes  ?     Thou  hast  destroyed  the  heart  of 

the  enamored  on  his  looking  at  thee. 
Hath  the  notched  arrow  been  suddenly  lanced  at  me  from  the  midst  of  an  army  or 

from  a  window  ? 

And  when  the  game  was  ended,  the  damsel  said  to  her  nurse,  What  is  the 
name  of  this  young  man  whom  I  have  shown  to  thee  ?  She  answered, 
His  name  is  Ansal  Wajoud.  And  upon  this  she  shook  her  head  and  laid 
herself  down  upon  her  mattress  ;  her  mind  was  fired,  and  she  uttered 
groans,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

He  hath  not  missed  who  named  thee  the  Delight  of  the  World,  O  thou  who  im- 

pattest  both  delight  and  liberality  ! 
O  thou  whose  countenance  reseuibleth  the   full  moon,   and  whose  face  diffuseth 

light  over  all  the  creation  ! 
Thou  art  without  an  equal  among  mankind,  the  sovereign  of  beauty,  and  I  have 

witnesses  to  prove  it. 
Thine  eyebrow  is  like  a  well-formed  Nun  ;*  and  thine  eye,  like  Sad,"  the  work  of 

the  Benevolent. 
Thy  figure  resembleth  a  fresh,  slender  branch ;  and  if  asked,  thou  givest  every 

thing  liberally. 
Thou  surpassest  the  horsemen  of  the  world  in  assault,  and  in  imparting  delight, 

and  in  beauty,  and  beneficence. 

She  then  wrote  these  verses  on  a  paper,  which  she  wrapped  in  a  piece 
of  silk  embroidered  with  gold,  and  put  beneath  the  pillow.  And  one  of  her 
nurses  was  looking  at  her  ;  so  this  nurse  came  to  her  and  proceeded  to  en- 
gage her  with  conversation  until  she  slept,  when  she  stole  ihe  paper  from 
beneath  the  pillow  and  read  it.  She  therefore  knew  that  she  was  affect- 
ed with  a  violent  passion  for  Ansal  Wajoud  ;  and  after  she  had  read  the 
paper,  she  put  it  agaiu  in  its  place.  And  when  her  mistress  awoke,  she 
said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  I  am  an  admonisher  unto  thee,  and  one  who 
pitieth  thee.     Know  that  love  is  difficult,  and  the  concealment  of  it  would 

*  The  Arabic  letter  Nun  is  a  semicircle  witli  a  dot  in  the  center.     The  Sad,  in  some 
MSS.,  has  a  fanciful  resemblance  to  the  human  eye. 
68 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

melt  iron,  and  occasioneth  diseases  and  infirmities  ;  and  the  person  who 
revealeth  love  is  not  obnoxious  to  reproach.  Upon  this  Rose  in  Bloom 
said  to  her,  O  my  nurse,  and  what  is  the  remedy  for  desire  ?  Its  remedy, 
answered  the  nurse,  is  an  interview.  And  how  can  that  be  obtained  ?  said 
the  damsel.  The  nurse  answered,  O  my  mistress,  it  may  be  obtained  by 
means  of  letters,  and  gentle  words,  and  by  many  compliments  and  salutations ; 
for  this  mode  of  proceeding  bringeth  lovers  together,  and  by  it  things  that 
are  difficult  are  rendered  easy  ;  and  if  thou  have  any  affair  to  be  perform- 
ed, O  my  lady,  I  am  most  fit  to  conceal  thy  secret,  and  to  accomplish  thy 
business,  and  bear  thy  letter.  And  when  Rose  in  Bloom  heard  these 
words  from  her,  her  reason  fled  through  joy ;  but  she  withheld  herself 
from  replying,  that  she  might  see  the  result  of  her  affair,  and  said  within 
herself,  Verily  this  thing  no  one  hath  known  from  me,  and  I  will  not  re- 
veal it  to  this  woman  until  after  I  shall  have  tried  her.  Then  the  woman 
said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  I  saw  in  my  sleep  as  though  a  man  came  to 
me  and  said  to  me,  Thy  mistress  and  Ansal  Wajoud  love  each  other  : 
therefore  manage  their  affair,  and  carry  their  letters,  and  accomplish  their 
wants,  and  conceal  their  case  and  their  secrets  :  so  wilt  thou  experience 
abundant  good  fortune.  Now  1  have  related  to  thee  what  I  saw,  and  it  is 
thine  to  decide.  And  Rose  in  Bloom  said  to  her  nurse,  when  she  had  thus 
informed  her  of  the  dream  that  she  had  (as  she  pretended)  seen,  Wilt  thou 
conceal  secrets,  O  my  nurse  ?  The  nurse  replied,  How  should  I  not  con- 
ceal secrets  when  I  am  of  the  choicest  of  the  ingenuous  ? 

Upon  this,  therefore,  the  damsel  produced  to  her  the  paper  upon  which 
she  had  written  the  verses,  saying  to  her,  Repair  with  this  my  note  to 
Ansal  Wajoud,  and  bring  me  an  answer  to  it.  So  she  took  it  and  went 
with  it  to  Ansal  Wajoud ;  and  when  she  went  in  to  him,  she  kissed  his 
hands,  complimented  him  with  the  most  courteous  words,  and  gave  him 
the  paper;  and  after  he  had  read  it,  and  understood  its  meaning,  lie  wrote 
upon  the  back  of  it  these  verses  : 

I  soothe  my  heart  in  my  passion  and  conceal  it;  but  my  state  interpreteth  and 

showeth  my  love. 
When  my  tears  flow,  I  say,  My  eye  is  sore — lest  the  censurer  should  see  and 

understand  my  condition. 
I  was  free  from  care,  and  knew  not  what  was  love  ;  but  have  become  enamored, 

and  with  enslaved  heart. 
I  submit  to  you  my  case,  complaining  of  my  passion  and  my  ecstasy,  in  the  hope 

that  you  will  pity,  and  show  mercy  : 
I  have  written  it  with  the  tears  of  my  eye,  that  perchance  it  may  explain  to  you 

the  love  with  which  you  have  affected  me. 
God  guard  a  face  that  is  veiled  with  loveliness!     The  full  moon  is  its  slave,  and 

the  stars  are  its  servants. 
In  beauty,  I  have  never  beheld  her  equal ;  and  from  her  motions,  the  branches 

might  learn  to  wave. 
I  beg,  without  imposing  on  yourself  a  trouble,  that  you  will  pay  us  a  visit ;  for  we 

should  highly  esteem  it. 
I  give  you  my  soul — perhaps  you  will  accept  it — for  to  me,  union  will  be  Paradise, 

and  aversion  will  be  hell. 

Then  he  folded  the  letter,  kissed  it,  and  gave  it  to  her,  saying  to  her,  O 
nurse,  conciliate  the  favor  of  thy  mistress.  She  replied,  1  hear  and  obey. 
And  she  took  from  him  the  letter,  and  returned  to  her  mistress,  and  gave 
it  to  her;  and  she  kissed  it  and  put  it  on  her  head ;  after  which  she  open- 
ed it  and  read  it,  and  understood  its  meaning  ;  and  she  wrote  beneath  it 
these  verses  : 

69 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

O  thou  whose  heart  is  enamored  by  our  beauty,  have  patience  in  thy  love,  and 

perhaps  thou  wilt  obtain  us. 
When  we  knew  that  thine  affection  was  true,  and  that  the  passion  that  hath 

afflicted  our  heart  had  afflicted  thine, 
We  would  have  granted  thee  the  union  thou  desirest,  and  more;  but  were  pre- 
vented doing  so  by  our  chamberlains. 
When  the  night  becometh  dark,  through  the  excess  of  our  love,  fires  are  kindled 

within  our  bosoms, 
And  sleep  is  driven  away  from  our  beds,  and  often  are  our  bodies  afflicted  by  our 

passion. 
An  imperative  law  in  love's  code  is  concealment.     Raise  not  the  curtains  that  are 

lowered  over  us. 
My  bosom  is  filled  with  love  of  the  gazelle.     Would  that  he  were  never  distant 

from  our  home  ! 

And  when  she  had  finished  her  verses,  she  folded  the  paper  and  gave  it 
to  the  nurse,  who  took  it  and  went  forth  from  her ;  but  the  chamberlain 
met  her,  and  said  to  her,  Whither  art  thou  going  ?  She  answered,  To  the 
bath.  And  she  was  alarmed  at  him,  and  the  paper  fell  from  her  as  she 
went  forth  from  the  door  in  her  alarm,  and  one  of  the  eunuchs,  seeing  it 
lying  in  the  way,  took  it.  Then  the  vizier  came  forth  from  the  harem 
and  seated  himself  upon  his  couch,  and  the  eunuch  who  had  picked  up  the 
paper  repaired  to  him.  So  while  the  vizier  was  sitting  upon  his  couch,  lo, 
that  eunuch  approached  him,  with  the  paper  in  his  hand,  and  said  to  him, 
O  my  lord,  I  found  this  paper  thrown  down  in  the  house,  and  I  took  it. 
The  vizier  therefore  took  it  from  his  hand,  folded  as  it  was,  and  opened  it, 
and  saw  written  upon  it  the  verses  above  mentioned.  He  read  them,  and 
understood  their  meaning ;  and  then,  examining  the  writing,  he  found  it  to 
be  that  of  his  daughter;  whereupon  he  went  in  to  her  mother,  weeping 
violently,  so  that  his  beard  was  wetted.  His  wife  said  to  him,  What  hath 
caused  thee  to  weep,  O  my  lord  ?  And  he  replied,  Take  this  paper,  and 
see  its  contents.  So  she  took  the  paper,  and  read  it,  and  found  it  to  be  a 
letter  from  her  daughter  Rose  in  Bloom  to  Ansal  Wajoud ;  upon  which 
she  was  affected  with  an  inclination  to  weep  ;  but  she  subdued  her  mind 
and  restrained  her  tears,  and  said  to  the  vizier,  O  my  lord,  there  is  no 
profit  in  weeping.  The  right  opiuion  is  this ;  that  we  consider  a  plan  by 
which  to  protect  thy  honor,  and  to  conceal  the  affair  of  thy  daughter. 
And  she  proceeded  to  console  him,  and  to  alleviate  his  sorrows.  But  he 
said  to  her,  Verily  I  am  in  fear  for  my  daughter  on  account  of  her  passion. 
Knowest  thou  not  that  the  sultan  loveth  Ansal  Wajoud  with  a  great  affec- 
tion ?  There  are  two  causes  for  my  fear.  The  first  is  with  respect  to 
myself,  she  being  my  daughter.  And  the  second  is  with  respect  to  the 
sultan,  Ansal  Wajoud  being  a  favorite  with  the  sultan  ;  and  probably  an 
affair  of  great  moment  may  hence  ensue.  What,  then,  dost  thou  see  fit  to 
be  done  in  this  case  ?  She  replied,  Have  patience  with  me  until  I  shall 
have  performed  the  prayer  for  direction  in  the  right  course.  Then  she 
performed  the  prayers  of  two  rekahs,  the  prophetic  ordinance  for  seeking 
to  be  directed  aright;  and  when  she  had  finished  her  prayers,  she  said  to 
her  husband,  In  the  midst  of  the  Sea  of  the  Kanouz  is  a  mountain  called 
the  Mountain  of  the  Bereft  Mother  (and  the  cause  of  its  being  so  named 
will  be  mentioned  hereafter),  and  to  that  mountain  none  can  obtain  access 
unless  with  difficulty  :  therefore  make  for  her  a  place  there. 

So  the  vizier  agreed  with  his  wife  that  he  should  build  there  an  im- 
pregnable palace,  and  place  her  in  it,  and  put  with  her  the  provisions  nec- 
70 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

essary  for  her  year  after  year,  and  place  with  her  such  attendants  as  should 
cheer  her  and  serve  her.  He  collected  the  carpenters,  and  builders,  and 
architects,  and  sent  them  to  that  mountain;  and  they  built  for  her  an  im- 
pregnable palace,  such  as  eyes  had  never  beheld.  Then  he  prepared  the 
provisions  for  the  journey,  and  the  caravan  to  accompany  her ;  and,  going 
in  to  his  daughter  at  night,  commanded  her  to  set  forth  on  the  journey.  So 
her  heart  felt  the  pangs  of  separation,  and  when  she  went  forth  and  saw 
the  preparation  for  travel  she  wept  violently,  and  wrote  some  words  on 
the  door  to  acquaint.  Ansal  Wajoud  with  the  transport  of  passion  that  she 
experienced,  which  was  such  as  would  make  the  flesh  to  quake,  and  melt 
the  heart  of  rock,  and  make  tears  to  flow;  and  what  she  wrote  consisted 
of  these  verses : 

By  Allah,  O  bouse,  if  the  beloved  pass  by  in  the  morning,  saluting  with  the  sig- 
nals of  lovers, 
Give  him  from  us  a  pure  and  fragrant  greeting  ;  for  he  knoweth  not  where  we 

pass  the  evening ; 
And  I  know  not  whither  they  have  journeyed  with  us,  proceeding  quickly,  and 

lightly  equipped. 
By  night,  when  the  birds  of  the  thicket,  perched  upon  the  branches,  bewail  us, 

and  announce  our  fate  ; 
The  tongue  of  their  condition  saying,  Alas,  for  the  bereavement  effected  by  the 

disjunction  of  the  lovers  ! 
When  I  saw  that  the  cups  of  separation  were  tilled,  and  fate  would  by  force  make 

us  drink  them  undiluted, 
I  mixed  them  with  becoming  patience,  to  excuse  myself;  but  now  patience  con- 

soleth  us  not  for  the  loss  of  you. 

And  when  she  had  finished  her  verses,  she  mounted,  and  they  journeyed 
with  her,  crossing  the  deserts,  and  wastes,  and  the  plain,  and  rugged  tracts, 
until  they  arrived  at  the  Sea  of  the  Kanouz,  when  they  pitched  the  tents 
upon  the  shore,  and  built  for  her  a  great  vessel,  in  which  they  embarked 
the  damsel  and  her  household.  The  vizier  had  commanded  them  that, 
when  they  had  arrived  at  the  mountain  and  had  taken  her  into  the  palace, 
together  with  her  household,  they  should  return  with  the  vessel,  and,  after 
they  had  landed,  that  they  should  break  it  up.  So  they  went  and  did  all 
that  he  had  commanded  them,  and  returned  weeping  for  that  which  had 
happened.     Such  was  their  case. 

But  as  to  Ansal  Wajoud,  he  rose  from  his  sleep,  and,  having  performed 
the  morning  prayers,  mounted,  and  repaired  to  attend  upon  the  sultan. 
And  he  passed  in  his  way  by  the  door  of  the  vizier,  as  he  was  wont  to  do, 
in  the  hope  that  perhaps  he  might  see  some  one  of  the  vizier's  dependents 
whom  he  was  accustomed  to  see ;  and  he  looked  at  the  door,  and  beheld 
the  verses  above  mentioned  written  upon  it.  On  seeing  them  he  became 
unconscious  of  his  existence  ;  a  fire  was  kindled  in  his  vitals,  and  he  re- 
turned to  his  house.  He  could  not  rest,  nor  be  patient,  and  he  ceased  not 
to  suffer  agitation  of  mind  and  transport  until  the  night  came,  when  he 
concealed  his  case,  and  disguised  himself;  and  he  went  forth  in  the  middle 
of  the  night,  wandering  at  random,  and  not  knowing  whither  to  go.  He 
journeyed  on  during  the  whole  of  the  remainder  of  that  night,  and  the  next 
day  until  the  heat  of  the  sun  became  fierce,  and  the  mountains  were  of  a 
burning  heat,  and  thirst  violently  oppressed  him  ;  but  he  beheld  a  tree,  and 
found  by  the  side  of  it  a  stream  of  water.  So  he  went  to  that  tree  and 
seated  himself  in  its  shade,  on  the  bank  of  that  stream,  and  desired  to 
drink  ;  but  he  found  that  the  water  had  no  taste  in  his  mouth.     His  com- 

71 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 


Ansal  Wajoud  in  the  desert. 


plexion  had  changed,  his  face  had  become  sallow,  and  his  feet  were  swoll- 
en by  walking  and  toil ;  and  he  wept  violently,  pouring  forth  tears,  and  re- 
cited these  verses : 

The  lover  is  intoxicated  by  his  passion ;  but  when  his  desire  increaseth,  he  recov- 

ereth. 
Distracted  in  his  love,  ardent,  bewildered,  he  findeth  no  abode  nor  food  that  pleaseth 

him. 
How  can  life  be  agreeable  to  the  enamored  who  is  parted  from  the  object  of  his 

love  ?     Were  it  so,  it  were  wonderful. 
I  melt  when  I  burn  with  transport  for  her,  my  tears  flowing  down  upon  my  cheek 

in  torrents. 
Shall  I  see  her,  or  see  any  one  from  her  abode,  by  whom  the  afflicted  heart  may  be 

cured? 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  wept  until  he  wetted  the  ground. 
Then  rising,  forthwith  he  proceeded  from  that  place  ;  and  as  he  journeyed 
on  through  the  deserts  and  wastes,  there  came  forth  upon  him  a  lion,  whose 
neck  was  closely  covered  with  his  hair,  and  his  head  was  as  large  as  a  cu- 
pola, and  his  mouth  wider  than  a  door,  with  teeth  like  the  tusks  of  the  el- 
ephant. When  Ansal  Wajoud  beheld  him,  he  made  sure  of  destruction, 
and,  turning  his  face  toward  the  kibla,  he  pronounced  the  two  professions 
of  the  faith,  and  prepared  for  death.     But  he  had  read  in  books  that,  if 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WA.IOUD  AND  ROSE  IN   BLOOM. 

any  one  attempt  to  beguile  the  lion,  he  may  be  beguiled  by  him  with  kind 
words,  and  be  rendered  gentle  by  praise.  So  he  began  to  say  to  him,  O 
lion  of  the  forest  and  the  plain  !  0  bold  lion  !  O  lather  of  the  generous  !  O 
sultan  of  the  wild  beasts!  verily  I  am  a  longing  lover,  whom  passion  and 
separation  have  consumed,  and  when  I  became  severed  from  the  beloved  I 
lost  my  reason  :  hear  then  my  words,  and  pity  my  ardor  and  desire.  And 
when  the  lion  heard  what  he  said,  he  drew  back  from  him,  and  sat  upon 
his  tail ;  then  raising  his  head  toward  him,  he  began  to  make  playful  motions 
to  him  with  his  tail  and  fore  paws;  and  Ansal  Wajoud,  on  seeing  him  do 
thus,  recited  these  verses  : 

Lion  of  the  desert,  wilt  thou  kill  me  before  I  meet  with  her  who  hath  enslaved 

me ! 
I  am  not  game ;  nor  am  I  fat :  the  loss  of  my  beloved  hath  wasted  me  away, 
And  estrangement  from  her  hath  so  consumed  me  that   I  am  like  a  phantom 

wrapped  in  grave-clothes. 

0  lion  of  strife  !  make  not  the  censurers  to  rejoice  at  my  anguish. 

1  am  burning  with  love,  my  tears  have  drowned  me,  and  the  absence  of  the  be- 
loved hath  troubled  my  mind. 

And  my  thoughts  of  her  in  the  darkness  of  night  have  made  me  unconscious  of  my 
existence. 

And  as  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  verses,  the  lion  arose  and  walked  gently 
toward  him,  with  his  eyes  filled  with  tears ;  and  when  he  came  to  him  he 
licked  him  with  his  tongue,  and  then  walked  before  him,  making  a  sign  to 


Ansal  Wajoud  and  the  lion. 


him,  as  though  he  would  say,  Follow  me.  So  he  followed  him,  and  tho 
lion  proceeded,  with  Ansal  Wajoud  behind  him,  for  some  time,  until  he  had 
ascended  to  the  summit  of  a  mountain.  Then  he  descended  from  that 
mountain,  and  Ansal  Wajoud  beheld  the  track  of  travelers  in  tho  desert, 
and  knew  it  to  be  that  of  the  people  who  accompauied  Rose  in  Bloom. 
He  therefore  followed  this  track  ;  and  when  the  lion  saw  that  he  did  so, 
and  that  he  knew  it  to  be  the  track  of  the  attendants  of  his  beloved,  he  re- 
turned and  went  his  way. 
Vot,  TT,  -n 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 


i    V 


Ansal  Wajoud  by  the  sea-shore. 

Ansal  Wajoud  proceeded  along  the  track  for  days  and  nights,  until  he  ap- 
proached a  roaring  sea,  agitated  with  waves;  and  the  foot-marks  reached 
to  the  shore  of  the  sea,  and  there  ended.  So  he  knew  that  the  people  had 
embarked  in  a  vessel  on  the  sea,  and  pursued  their  course  over  it ;  in  con- 
sequence of  which  his  hope  of  finding  them  was  then  cut  off,  and  he  poured 
forth  tears,  and  recited  these  verses : 

Distant  is  the  place  I  seek,  and  my  patience  hath  failed.  How  can  I  advance  to 
her  over  the  abyss  of  the  sea  1 

Or  how  can  I  be  patient  when  my  vitals  are  consumed  by  love  of  her,  and  I  have 
exchanged  sleep  for  wakefulness  ? 

Since  the  day  when  she  journeyed  forth  from  her  home,  my  heart  hath  been  in- 
flamed with  a  vehement  lire. 

Like  Sihum,  and  Jiham,1'  and  Euphrates  are  my  tears  :  they  form  a  flood  more  co- 
pious than  deluge  and  rain. 

My  eyelids  are  sore  from  continual  weeping,  and  my  heart  is  tortured  with  fire 
and  sparks. 

And  after  reciting  some  more  verses,  he  fell  down  in  a  fit,  and  he  remain- 
ed in  it  a  long  time.  Then,  recovering,  he  looked  to  the  right  and  left ; 
but  saw  no  one  in  the  desert ;  and  he  feared  for  himself  on  account  of  the 
wild  beasts. 

So  he  ascended  a  high  mountain,  and  while  he  was  upon  it,  he  heard  the 
voice  of  a  human  being  speaking  in  a  cave ;  and  he  listened  to  him,  and  lo, 
he  was  a  devotee,  who  had  forsaken  the  world,  and  occupied  himself  with 
devotion.  He  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  cave  three  times ;  but  the  dev- 
otee answered  him  not,  nor  came  forth  to  him ;  and  upon  this  he  uttered 
groans,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

*  These  names  are  the  native  appellations  of  the  Oxus  and  Araxes. 

74 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

How  can  I  find  means  to  attain  my  desire,  and  be  relieved  from  anxiety,  and 

trouble,  and  weariness  ? 
All  terrors  have  united  to  render  me  aged  in  heart  and  head  in  the  time  of  my 

youth ; 
And  I  find  not  any  to  aid  me  in  my  passion,  nor  a  friend  to  alleviate  my  transport 

and  toil. 
How  great  are  the  troubles  that  I  have  suffered  !     Fortune  seems  turned  entirely 

against  me. 

0  for  mercy  on  the  ardent  and  agitated  lover,  who  hath  drunk  the  cup  of  separa- 
tion and  abandonment ! 

Fire  is  in  his  heart,  and  his  bowels  are  destroyed,  and  the  pain  of  disjunction  hath 
deprived  him  of  reason. 

How  terrible  was  the  day  when  I  came  to  her  abode,  and  beheld  what  was  writ- 
ten upon  the  door  ! 

1  wept  in  my  anguish  till  I  wetted  the  ground;  but  concealed  my  case  from  the 
near  and  the  distant. 

0  thou  devotee  who  art  idle  in  thy  cave,  as  though  thou  hadst  tasted  and  been 
captivated  by  love  ! 

After  all  that  I  have  suffered,  if  I  gain  my  object,  I  shall  not  remember  anxiety  or 
fatigue. 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  lo,  the  door  of  the  cave  was  opened, 
and  he  heard  a  person  saying,  Alas  !  mercy  !  So  he  entered  the  door  and 
saluted  the  devotee,  who  returned  his  salutation,  and  said  to  him,  What  is 
thy  name  ?  He  answered,  My  name  is  Ansal  Wajoud.  And  the  devotee 
said  to  him,  What  is  the  cause  of  thy  coming  unto  this  place  ?  He  there- 
fore related  to  him  his  story  from  beginning  to  end,  acquainting  him  with 
all  that  had  befallen  him.  And  on  hearing  it,  the  devotee  wept,  and  said  to 
him,  O  Ansal  Wajoud,  verily  I  have  been  in  this  place  twenty  years  with- 
out seeing  in  it  any  one,  until  lately,  when  I  heard  weeping  and  clamor, 
and,  looking  in  the  direction  of  the  sounds,  I  saw  many  people,  and  tents 
pitched  on  the  shore  of  the  sea,  and  they  built  a  vessel,  in  which  a  party  of 
them  embarked,  and  they  proceeded  in  it  over  the  sea.  Then  some  of 
those  who  had  embarked  in  the  vessel  returned  with  it,  and  broke  it  up, 
and  went  their  way  :  and  I  imagine  that  those  who  passed  over  the  sea 
and  returned  not  are  the  people  whom  thou  seekest,  O  Ansal  Wajoud.  In 
that  case,  thine  anxiety  must  be  great,  and  thou  art  excused  :  but  there  ex- 
isteth  no  lover  who  hath  not  endured  griefs.  Then  the  devotee  recited 
these  verses  : 

Ansal  Wajoud,  dost  thou  think  me  free  from  care,  when  desire  and  transport  kill 
me  and  resuscitate  me? 

1  have  known  love  and  passion  from  my  early  years,  since  I  was  an  infant  nourished 

by  milk. 
Long  I  struggled  with  love,  till  I  became  notorious  ;  if  thou  ask  respecting  me,  he 

will  know  me. 
Love-sick  and  pining,  I  drank  the  cup  of  passion,  and  well-nigh  perished  by  the 

wasting  of  my  body. ' 
I  was  strong ;  but  my  strength  became  impaired,  and  the  army  of  my  patience  fell 

beneath  the  swords  of  the  eyes. 
Hope  not  for  union  witli  the  beloved  without  torment ;    for  opposites  are  ever 

leagued  together. 
Love  hath  decreed  against  all  its  votaries,  that  relinquishment  is  forbidden  as  a 

wicked  heresy. 

Then  the  devotee  arose  and  came  to  Ansal  Wajoud,  and  embraced  him, 
and  they  both  wept  so  that  the  mountains  resounded  with  their  cries. 
They  ceased  not  to  weep  until  they  both  fell  down  senseless;  and  when 
they  recovered,  they  made  a  vow  to  be  brothers  in  God  (whose  name  be 

75 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

exalted  !) ;  after  which  the  devotee  said  to  Ansal  Wajoud,  I  will  this  night 
pray,  and  beg  of  God  to  be  rightly  directed  as  to  the  course  which  thou 
shouldst  pursue.     And  Ansal  Wajoud  replied,  I  hear  and  obey. 

Meanwhile,  when  the  people  had  arrived  with  Rose  in  Bloom  at  the 
mountain,  and  taken  her  into  the  palace,  and  she  beheld  it,  and  beheld  its 
order,  she  wept,  and  said,  By  Allah,  thou  art  a  beautiful  place ;  but  thou 
wantest  the  presence  of  the  beloved  in  thee.  And  she  saw  birds  in  that 
island  :  so  she  ordered  one  of  her  attendants  to  set  a  snare  for  them,  and 
catch  some  of  them,  and  whenever  he  caught  any,  to  put  them  in  cages 
within  the  palace  :  and  he  did  as  she  commanded  him.  Then  she  sat  at  a 
lattice  window  of  the  palace,  and,  reflecting  upon  the  events  that  had  be- 
fallen her,  her  desire,  and  transport,  and  distraction  increased  ;  and  she  shed 
tears,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

O,  to  whom  shall  I  complain  of  the  desire  that  I  suffer,  and  my  grief  and  my  dis- 
junction from  my  beloved, 

And  the  flame  that  rageth  within  my  bosom ,  but  which  I  show  not,  in  my  fear  of 
the  watcher  1 

I  have  become  extenuated  like  a  tooth-pick,  by  estrangement,  and  ardor,  and 
lamentation. 

Where  is  the  eye  of  the  beloved  to  see  how  my  state  hath  become  like  that  of  the 
distracted  ? 

They  tyrannized  over  me  when  they  confined  me  in  a  place  to  which  he  can  never 
come. 

I  beg  the  sun  to  give  a  thousand  salutations,  at  the  time  of  its  rising,  and  again  at 
its  setting, 

To  the  loved  one  who  shameth  the  full  moon  in  beauty,  and  surpasseth  in  figure 
the  slender  branch. 

If  the  rose  be  compared  to  his  cheek,  I  say  of  it,  Thou  resemblest  it  not  if  thou  be 
not  of  my  portion. 

The  moisture  of  his  mouth  is  like  pleasant  wine  that  would  cool  me  when  a  fire 
flameth  within  me. 

How  can  I  give  him  up  who  is  my  heart  and  my  soul,  a  cause  of  wasting  and  sick- 
ness to  me,  but  my  beloved  and  my  physician  ? 

And  when  the  darkness  of  night  overshadowed  her,  her  desire  became 
more  violent,  and  again  she  reflected  upon  past  events,  and  recited  some 
verses  commencing  thus  : 

It  is  dark,  and  my  transport  and  disease  are  excited,  and  desire  provoketh  my 

usual  pain. 
The  torment  of  separation  is  constant  in  my  bosom,  and  trouble  of  mind  hath 

rendered  me  destitute. 

Now  to  return  to  Ansal  Wajoud  :  the  devotee  said  to  him,  Descend  into 
the  valley,  and  bring  me  from  the  palm-trees  some  of  their  fibei's.  So  he 
descended,  and  brought  him  some  of  the  fibers  of  the  palm-trees  ;  and  the 
devotee  took  them  and  twisted  them,  and  made  of  them  a  kind  of  net,  like 
those  used  for  carrying  straw  ;  after  which  he  said,  O  Ansal  Wajoud,  in 
the  midst  of  the  valley  is  a  kind  of  gourd  that  groweth  up  and  drieth  upon 
its  roots  :  go  down  then  to  it,  fill  this  net  with  the  gourds,  and  tie  it,  and 
throw  it  into  the  sea  :  then  place  thyself  upon  it,  and  proceed  upon  it  into 
the  midst  of  the  sea  :  perhaps  thou  wilt  attain  thy  desire  ;  for  he  who 
risketh  not  himself  will  not  gain  his  object.  To  this  Ansal  Wajoud  re- 
plied, I  hear  and  obey.  And  he  bade  him  farewell,  and  departed  from  him 
to  do  as  he  had  directed  him,  after  the  devotee  had  prayed  for  him.  He 
proceeded,  without  stopping,  to  the  midst  of  the  valley,  and  did  as  the  dev- 
otee had  said  to  him ;  and  when  he  arrived  upon  the  net,  in  the  midst  of 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 


Ausal  Wajoud  on  the  gourds. 

the  sea,  there  came  upon  him  a  wind  which  propelled  him  with  the  net 
until  he  disappeared  from  before  the  eyes  of  the  devotee.  He  ceased  not 
to  traverse  the  surface  of  the  deep,  one  wave  raising  him  and  another  de- 
pressing him,  while  he  beheld  the  wonders  and  terrors  of  the  sea,  until 
destiny  cast  him  upon  the  Mountain  of  the  Bereft  Mother,  after  three  days. 
He  landed  like  a  giddy  young  bird,  distressed  by  hunger  and  thirst ;  but  he 
found  in  that  place  rivers  flowing,  and  birds  warbling  upon  the  branches, 
and  fruit-bearing  trees  of  the  same  and  of  different  kinds ;  and  he  ate  of 
the  fruits,  and  drank  of  the  water  of  the  rivers. 

Then  he  arose  and  walked  ;  and  he  beheld  something  white  in  the  dis- 
tance ;  so  he  proceeded  thither  until  he  arrived  at  it,  when  he  found  it  to 
be  an  impregnable  palace.  He  came  to  its  gate,  and  found  it  closed ;  and 
he  sat  at  it  for  three  days  :  but  at  length,  as  he  was  sitting  there,  the  gate 
of  the  palace  was  opened,  and  there  came  forth  from  it  one  of  the  eu- 
nuchs, who,  seeing  Ansal  Wajoud  sitting,  said  to  him,  Whence  hast  thou 
come,  and  who  brought  thee  hither?  He  answered,  From  Ispahan,  and 
I  was  on  a  voyage  with  merchandise,  and  the  vessel  that  I  was  in  was 
wrecked,  and  the  waves  threw  me  upon  this  island.     And  the  eunuch 

77 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

wept,  and  embraced  him,  saying,  God  prolong  thy  life,  O  chief  of  friends ! 
Verily,  Ispahan  is  my  native  place,  and  I  have  there  a  cousin,  the  daughter 
of  a  paternal  uncle,  whom  I  loved  in  my  youth,  and  I  was  passionately  at- 
tached to  her;  but  a  people  stronger  than  we  made  war  upon  us,  and  took 
me  with  their  spoil,  while  I  was  yet  a  youth,  and  sold  me  :  thus  have  I 
become  reduced  to  my  present  condition.  And  after  he  had  saluted  him 
and  wished  him  long  life,  he  led  him  into  the  court  of  the  palace,  where, 
when  he  entered,  he  beheld  a  great  pool  surrounded  by  trees  with  spread- 


The  impregnable  palace. 

ing  branches,  and  in  it  were  birds  in  cages  of  silver  with  doors  of  gold  : 
these  cages  were  hung  to  the  branches,  and  the  birds  within  them  were 
warbling,  and  singing  the  praises  of  the  Requiting  King.  On  his  coming 
to  the  first  of  them,  he  looked  at  it ;  and  lo,  it  was  a  turtle-dove  ;  and  when 
it  saw  him,  it  raised  its  voice,  crying,  O  Bountiful !  Whereupon  Ansal 
Wajoud  fell  down  in  a  fit;  and  on  his  recovering,  he  uttered  groans,  and 
recited  these  verses : 

O  turtledove,  art  thou  enamored  like  me  ?     Pray,  then,  to  the  Lord,  and  warble, 
O  Bountiful ! 

Is  this  thy  cry  occasioned  by  merriment,  or  is  it  by  desire  dwelling  in  the  heart? 

If  thou  moanest  from  transport  ou  account  of  the  beloved  that  hath  gone,  and  left 
thee  wasted  and  pining. 

And  like  me  thou  hast  lost  the  object  of  affection,  disjunction  must  manifest  long- 
felt  rapture. 

O,  may  Allah  guard  a  faithful  lover!     I  will  not  relinquish  her  though  my  bones 
decay. 
78 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

And  when  he  had  finished  these  verses,  he  wept  until  again  he  fell  down 
in  a  fit ;  and  after  he  had  recovered,  he  went  on  to  other  cages,  and  ad- 
dressed, in  a  similar  manner,  a  ring-dove,  a  hezar,*  a  nightingale,  and  a 
wood-pigeon,  which  last  appeared  as  though  it  would  utter  these  verses  in 
reply : 

0  thou  lover,  thou  hast  brought  to  my  remembrance  the  time  when  my  early 
strength  failed, 

And  an  object  of  love,  of  whose  form  I  was  enamored,  endowed  with  surpassing 
and  tempting  beauty, 

Whose  voice,  as  he  sat  upon  the  branches  on  the  sand-hill,  diverted  me  from  listen- 
ing to  the  sounds  of  the  flute. 

A  fowler  set  for  him  a  snare,  and  took  him,  while  he  cried,  O  that  he  would  leave 
me  at  large  ! 

1  hoped  that  he  might  be  a  man  of  compassion  ;  or  that,  seeing  me  to  be  a  lover, 
he  would  pity  me. 

But  God  overthrew  him  after  he  had  thus  with  cruelty  parted  me  from  my  beloved. 
My  desire  for  him  hath  become  excessive,  and  hath  tortured  me  with  the  fire  of 

disjunction. 
May  Allah  guard  an  impassioned  lover  who  hath  struggled  with  love  and  hath 

known  my  sadness, 
And,  seeing  me  so  long  imprisoned  in  my  cage,  will  in  mercy  loose  me  that  I  may 

fly  to  my  beloved. 

He  then  looked  toward  his  friend  the  man  of  Ispahan,  and  said  to  him, 
What  is  this  palace,  and  what  doth  it  contain,  and  who  built  it  ?  The  man 
answered  him,  The  vizier  of  such  a  king  built  it  for  his  daughter,  fearing 
for  her  from  misfortunes  and  calamities,  and  hath  lodged  her  in  it,  together 
with  her  dependents,  and  it  is  not  opened  save  once  in  every  year,  when 
their  provisions  are  brought  to  them.  So  he  said  within  himself,  My  de- 
sire is  accomplished ;  but  the  time  to  wait  is  long. 

Now  during  this  period,  Rose  in  Bloom  found  neither  drink  nor  food 
agreeable  to  her,  nor  sitting,  nor  sleeping.  Her  desire,  and  transport,  and 
distraction  of  love  had  increased  :  and  she  searched  about  in  the  corners  of 
the  palace,  but  found  no  way  of  escape  for  her;  and  she  poured  forth 
tears,  and  recited  these  verses : 

They  have  cruelly  confined  me  from  my  beloved,  and  made  me  to  taste  of  anguish 

in  my  prison. 
They  have  tortured  my  heart  with  the  fires  of  love,  by  preventing  my  beholding 

him. 
In  a  lofty  palace  have  they  imprisoned  me,  on  a  mountain  placed  in  the  midst  of 

the  sea. 
If  they  would  have  me  forsake  him,  their  wish  is  vain,  for  my  love  is  become  more 

trying. 
How  can  I  forsake  him  when  the  origin  of  all  that  I  suffer  hath  been  the  beholding 

his  face  ? 
The  whole  of  my  day  is  passed  in  sorrow,  and  the  night  I  spend  in  thinking  upon 

him. 
Remembrance  of  him  cheereth  me  in  my  solitude,  while  I  find  myself  destitute  of 

his  presence. 
Would  that  I  knew  if,  after  all  this,  fortune  will  consent  to  my  heart's  desire  ! 

She  then  went  up  to  the  roof  of  the  palace,  and,  taking  some  garments  of 
the  stuff  of  Baalbec,  tied  herself  by  them,  and  let  herself  down  until  she 
came  to  the  ground.  She  was  attired  in  the  most  magnificent  of  her  ap- 
parel, and  on  her  neck  was  a  necklace  of  jewels.  And  she  proceeded  over 
the  adjacent  deserts  and  wastes  until  she  came  to  the  shore  of  the  sea, 

*  Name  of  a  species  of  niehtinealc. 

79 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 


Rose  in  Bloom  and  the  boatman. 


when  she  saw  a  fisherman  going  about  in  his  vessel  upon  the  sea  to  fish. 
The  wind  had  cast  him  toward  that  island,  and  he  looked,  and  saw  there 
Rose  in  Bloom ;  but  when  he  beheld  her,  he  was  frightened  at  her,  and 
steered  away  his  boat  in  flight.  So  she  called  him,  making  many  signs  to 
him,  and  recited  some  verses,  informing  him  that  she  was  a  human  being 
(not  a  Fairy,  as  he  feared),  and  explaining  her  case  ;  on  hearing  which,  the 
fisherman  wept,  and  sighed,  and  lamented,  remembering  what  had  hap- 
pened to  himself  in  the  days  of  his  youth,  when  love  overpowered  him, 
and  his  desire  was  violent,  and  his  transport  and  distraction  were  excessive, 
the  fires  of  passion  burning  him  ;  and  he  replied  to  her  in  verse,  telling  her 
that  he  had  been  afflicted  by  love  from  his  youth.  He  then  made  fast  his 
vessel  to  the  land,  and  said  to  her,  Embark  in  the  vessel,  that  I  may  trans- 
port thee  to  whatsoever  place  thou  desirest.  So  she  embarked  in  the  ves- 
sel, and  he  set  it  afloat  with  her,  and  when  it  had  proceeded  a  little  way 
from  the  land  there  blew  upon  it  a  favorable  wind,  and  the  vessel  advanced 
rapidly  until  the  land  disappeared  from  before  their  eyes.  The  fisherman 
then  knew  not  whither  to  steer;  and  the  wind  continued  violent  for  the 
80 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

space  of  three  days ;  after  which  it  subsided  by  the  permission  of  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  the  vessel  bore  them  on  until  it  came  to  a 
city  on  the  shore  of  the  sea,  where  the  fisherman  desired  to  make  it  fast. 
In  this  city  was  a  king  of  great  power,  named  Dirbas.  He  was  at  that 
time  sitting  with  his  son  in  his  palace,  and  they  were  looking  from  a  win- 
dow, and,  casting  their  eyes  toward  the  sea,  they  saw  that  vessel ;  and  on 
their  observing  it  attentively,  they  found  that  there  was  in  it  a  damsel  like 
the  full  moon  in  the  sky,  having  in  her  ears  enr-rings  of  costly  balass  ru- 
bies, and  on  her  neck  a  necklace  of  precious  jewels.  The  king  therefore 
knew  that  she  was  of  the  daughters  of  the  grandees  or  of  the  kings,  and 
he  descended  from  his  palace,  and  went  forth  from  a  door  opening  upon  the 
sea;  whereupon  he  saw  the  vessel  made  fast  to  the  shore  ;  and  the  dam- 
sel was  sleeping,  while  the  fisherman  was  busy  in  attaching  the  vessel. 
The  king  roused  her  from  her  sleep,  and  she  awoke  weeping;  and  the 
king  said  to  her,  Whence  comest  thou,  and  whose  daughter  art  thou,  and 
what,  is  the  cause  of  thy  coming  hither  ?  So  she  answered  him,  I  am  the 
daughter  of  Ibrahim,  the  vizier  of  the  King  Shamik,  and  the  cause  of  my 
coming  hither  is  a  wonderful  event  and  an  extraordinary  affair.  And  she 
l-elated  to  him  her  whole  story,  from  beginning  to  end,  hiding  from  him  noth- 
ing ;  after  which  she  uttered  groans  and  recited  some  verses ;  and  the 
king,  on  hearing  them,  was  convinced  of  her  transport  and  desire,  and  was 
moved  with  compassion  for  her;  and  he  said  to  her,  Thou  hast  no  cause 
of  fear  nor  of  terror.  Thou  hast  attained  thy  wish ;  for  I  must  accom- 
plish for  thee  what  thou  desirest,  and  procure  for  thee  what  thou  seekest : 
and  hear  from  me  these  words.     Then  he  recited  these  verses  : 

Daughter  of  the  noble,  thou  hast  gained  thine  object.     Receive  good  tidings,  and 

fear  not  here  fatigue 
This  day  will  I  collect  wealth,  and  I  will  send  it  to  Shamik,  attended  by  horsemen 

and  heroes  : 
I  will  send  to  him  bags  of  musk,  and  brocade ;  and  white  silver,  also,  will  I  send, 

and  gold. 
Yea ;  and  my  letters  shall  inform  him  for  me  that  I  am  desirous  of  alliance  with 

him  ; 
And  to-day  will  I  use  endeavors  to  aid  thee,  that  what  thou  wishest  for  may  be 

hastened. 
I  have  tasted  of  love  long,  and  known  it,  and  excuse  the  person  who  hath  drunk 

the  same  cup. 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  went  forth  to  his  troops,  and,  hav- 
ing summoned  his  vizier,  caused  wealth  incalculable  to  be  packed  up  for 
him,  and  commanded  him  to  repair  with  it  to  the  King  Shamik,  saying  to 
him,  Thou  must  without  fail  bring  to  me  a  person  who  is  with  him,  named 
Ansal  Wajoud ;  and  do  thou  say  to  him,  The  king  desireth  to  form  an  alli- 
ance with  thee  by  marrying  his  daughter  to  Ansal  Wajoud,  thy  dependent, 
and  he  must  be  sent  with  me,  that  the  ceremony  of  the  contract  of  his 
marriage  to  her  may  be  performed  in  the  kingdom  of  her  father.  Then 
tin;  King  Dirbas  wrote  a  letter  to  the  King  Shamik,  to  the  effect  above 
mentioned,  and  gave  it  to  his  vizier,  strictly  charging  him  to  bring  Ansal 
Wajoud,  and  saying  to  him,  If  thou  bring  him  not  to  me,  thou  shalt  be  dis- 
placed from  thy  station. 

The  vizier  therefore  replied,  I  hear  and  obey,  and  repaired  with  the 
present  to  the  King  Shamik.     And  when  he  came  to  him,  he  delivered  to 
him  the  salutation  of  the  King  Dirbas,  and  have  him  the  letter  and  the 
i>*  81 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

present  that  he  had  brought.  But  when  the  King  Shamik  saw  them,  and 
read  the  letter,  and  saw  the  name  of  Ansa]  Wajoud,  he  wept  violently, 
and  said  to  the  vizier  who  was  sent  to  him,  And  where  is  Ansal  Wajoud  ? 
For  he  hath  gone  away,  and  we  know  not  where  he  is.  Bring  him  then 
to  me,  and  I  will  give  to  thee  double  the  presents  thou  hast  brought.  Then 
he  wept,  and  sighed,  and  lamented,  poured  forth  tears,  and  recited  these 
verses : 

Restore  unto  me  my  favorite ;  I  am  riot  in  want  of  wealth  ; 
Nor  do  I  wish  for  presents  of  jewels  or  of  pearls. 
I  brought  him  up  an  infant,  upon  the  bed  of  fondness, 
And  verily  I  am  mourning  and  troubled  for  him  in  mind. 

And  after  this  he  looked  toward  the  vizier  who  had  brought  the  present 
and  the  letter,  and  said  to  him,  Repair  to  thy  lord,  and  inform  him  that 
Ansal  Wajoud  hath  been  absent  for  a  year,  and  his  lord  knoweth  not 
whither  he  hath  gone,  nor  hath  he  any  tidings  of  him.  But  the  vizier  re- 
plied, O  my  lord,  verily  my  sovereign  said  to  me,  If  thou  bring  him  not  to 
me,  thou  shalt  be  displaced  from  the  post  of  vizier,  and  shalt  not  enter  my 
city.  How  then  can  I  go  to  him  without  him  ?  So  the  King  Shamik  said 
to  his  Vizier  Ibrahim,  Go  thou  with  him,  accompanied  by  a  party  of  men, 
and  search  for  Ansal  Wajoud  in  every  quarter.  And  he  replied,  I  hear 
and  obey. 

Accordingly,  he  took  a  party  of  his  dependents,  and,  accompanied"  by  the 
vizier  of  the  King  Dirbas,  they  proceeded  in  search  of  Ansal  Wajoud  ;  and 
whenever  they  passed  by  Arabs  or  any  people,  they  inquired  of  thern  re- 
specting Ansal  Wajoud,  saying  to  them,  Hath  there  passed  by  you  a  per- 
son of  such  a  name,  and  of  such  and  such  a  description  ?  To  which  they 
answered,  We  know  him  not.  They  ceased  not  to  inquire  in  the  cities  and 
villages,  and  to  search  in  the  plain  and  rugged  tracts,  and  deserts,  and 
wastes,  until  they  arrived  at  the  shore  of  the  sea  ;  when  they  sought  a 
vessel,  and  embarked  in  one,  and  proceeded  in  it  until  they  approached  the 
Mountain  of  the  Bereft  Mother.  Upon  this  the  vizier  of  the  King  Dirbas 
said  to  the  vizier  of  the  King  Shamik,  On  what  account  is  this  mountain 
so  named  ?  And  the  latter  answered,  For  this  reason  :  A  Fairy  sojourned 
upon  it  in  ancient  times,  and  that  Fairy  was  of  the  Genii  of  China.  She 
loved  a  man,  and  became  passionately  attached  to  him  ;  but  she  was  in  fear 
of  her  family  ;  and,  her  desire  becoming  excessive,  she  searched  in  the 
earth  for  a  place  wherein  to  conceal  him  from  them,  and  found  this  mount- 
ain to  be  cut  off  from  mankind  and  from  the  Genii,  so  that  no  one  of  either 
of  these  races  (herself  excepted)  found  the  way  to  it.  She  therefore  car- 
ried off  her  beloved  and  placed  him  there,  and  used  to  repair  to  her  fam- 
ily, and  to  come  to  him  privately  ;  and  thus  she  ceased  not  to  do  for  a  long 
time,  until  she  bore  him,  on  that  mountain,  a  number  of  children.  And 
those  merchants  who  passed  by  this  mountain  in  their  voyages  over  the 
sea  used  to  hear  the  weeping  of  the  infants,  like  the  weeping  of  a  woman 
bereft  of  her  children  ;  whereupon  they  said,  Is  there  here  a  bereft  moth- 
er ?     And  the  vizier  of  the  King  Dirbas  wondered  at  these  words. 

They  then  proceeded  until  they  came  to  the  palace,  and  they  knocked 
at  the  door ;  upon  which  the  door  was  opened,  and  there  came  forth  to 
them  a  eunuch,  who,  knowing  Ibrahim,  the  vizier  of  the  King  Shamik, 
kissed  his  hands.  And  the  Vizier  Ibrahim  entered  the  palace,  and  found 
in  its  court  a  poor  man  among  the  servants ;  and  he  was  Ansal  Wajoud. 
82 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 


The  Fairy  carrying  off  her  beloved. 

So  he  said  to  them,  Whence  is  this  man  ?  And  they  answered  him,  He 
is  a  merchant:  his  property  was  lost  at  sea,  and  he  saved  himself;  and  he 
is  a  person  abstracted  from  the  world.  He  therefore  left  him,  and  went 
on  into  the  interior  of  the  palace  ;  but  found  no  trace  of  his  daughter ;  and 
he  inquired  of  the  female  slaves  who  were  there,  and  they  answered  him, 
We  know  not  how  she  went,  and  she  stayed  not  with  us  save  for  a  short 
time.     And  upon  this  he  poured  forth  tears,  and  recited  these  verses : 

O  thou  mansion,  the  birds  of  which  were  singing,  and  the  thresholds  whereof  were 
fortunate, 

Until  the  enamored  came  to  thee  bewailing  his  desire,  and  beheld  the  doors  opened  ! 

Would  that  I  knew  where  my  soul  is  gone,  that  was  lately  in  a  mansion  whose 
mistress  now  is  distant ! 

It  was  stored  with  every  thing  magnificent,  and  its  chamberlains  were  happy  and 
exalted, 

And  they  clothed  it  with  draperies  of  brocade.  O,  whither  hath  its  mistress  de- 
parted 1 

Then  he  wept,  and  sighed,  and  lamented,  and  said,  There  is  no  resource 
against  that  which  God  hath  ordained,  nor  any  escape  from  that  which  He 
hath  predestined  and  decreed  !     And  he  ascended  to  the  roof  of  the  palace 

83 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

and  found  the  garments  of  the  stuff  of  Baalbec  tied  to  the  battlements  and 
reaching  to  the  ground.  So  he  knew  that  she  had  descended  from  that 
place,  and  gone  like  one  distracted  and  confounded.  And  he  looked  aside, 
and  saw  there  two  birds,  a  raven  and  an  owl,  from  the  sight  of  which  he 
augured  evil;  and  he  uttered  groans,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

I  came  to  the  abode  of  the  beloved,  hoping,  by  beholding  her,  to  assuage  my  trans- 
port and  affliction  ; 

But  I  found  her  not  in  it,  nor  found  I  there  aught  save  an  ill-omened  raven  and 
owl  ; 

And  the  sceue  seemed  to  tell  me,  Thou  hast  acted  cruelly  in  severing  the  two  de- 
sirous lovers  : 

So  taste  thou  the  grief  which  they  have  tasted,  and  live  in  sorrow,  weeping  and 
burning. 

He  then  descended,  weeping,  from  the  roof  of  the  palace,  and  ordered  the 
servants  to  go  forth  upon  the  mountain  to  search  for  their  mistress ;  and 
they  did  so ;  but  found  her  not.  Meanwhile,  Ansal  Wajoud,  when  he  was 
assured  that  Rose  in  Bloom  had  gone,  uttered  a  great  cry,  and  fell  down  in 
a  fit,  in  which  he  remained  long ;  and  they  imagined  that  a  state  of  ab- 
straction from  the  world  had  overcome  him,  and  that  he  was  drowned  in 
the  contemplation  of  the  beauty  of  the  majesty  of  the  Requiter. 

Now,  when  they  despaired  of  finding  Ansal  Wajoud,  and  the  heart  of  the 
Vizier  Ibrahim  was  troubled  by  the  loss  of  his  daughter  Rose  in  Bloom,  the 
vizier  of  the  King  Dirbas  desired  to  return  to  his  country,  though  he  had 
not  attained  his  desire  by  his  journeys.  So  the  Vizier  Ibrahim  began  to  bid 
him  farewell;  and  the  vizier  of  the  King  Dirbas  said  to  him,  I  desire  to  take 
this  poor  man  with  me  :  perhaps  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  may  in- 
cline the  heart  of  the  king  to  me  by  the  blessing  attendant  upon  him ;  for 
he  is  a  person  abstracted  from  the  world  ;  and  after  that  I  will  send  him  to 
Ispahan,  since  it  is  near  unto  our  country.  The  Vizier  Ibrahim  replied, 
Do  as  thou  desirest.  And  each  of  the  viziers  departed  to  his  own  country. 
The  vizier  of  the  King  Dirbas  took  with  him  Ansal  Wajoud,  still  insensible, 
and  proceeded  with  him  three  days,  during  which  he  continued  in  his  fit, 
carried  on  mules,  and  not  knowing  whether  he  was  carried  or  not.  So 
whea  he  recovered  from  his  fit,  he  said,  In  what  place  am  I?  And  they 
answered  him,  Thou  art  with  the  vizier  of  the  King  Dirbas.  Then  they 
went  to  the  vizier,  and  informed  him  that  he  had  recovered ;  whereupon 
he  sent  to  him  rose-water  and  sherbet  of  sugar,  and  they  gave  him  to  drink, 
and  revived  him.  And  they  continued  their  journey  until  they  approached 
the  city  of  the  King  Dirbas,  when  the  king  sent  to  the  vizier,  saying  to  him, 
If  Ansal  Wajoud  be  not  with  thee,  come  not  to  me  ever.  When,  there- 
fore, he  read  the  order  of  the  king,  it  afflicted  him.  Now  the  vizier  knew 
not  that  Rose  in  Bloom  was  with  the  king,  nor  did  he  know  the  reason  of 
the  king's  sending  him  to  Ansal  Wajoud,  nor  the  reason  of  his  desiring  the 
alliance  with  him;  and  Ansal  Wajoud  knew  not  whither  they  were  going 
with  him,  nor  that  the  vizier  was  sent  to  seek  for  him ;  nor  did  the  vizier 
know  that  this  was  Ansal  Wajoud.  And  when  the  vizier  saw  that  he  was 
recovered,  he  said  to  him,  Verily  the  king  hath  sent  me  on  a  business,  and 
it  is  not  accomplished  ;  and  when  he  knew  of  my  approach,  he  sent  to  me 
a  letter,  saying  to  me  in  it,  If  the  business  be  not  accomplished,  enter  not 
my  city.  And  what,  said  Ansal  Wajoud,  is  the  business  of  the  king  ? 
The  vizier  therefore  related  to  him  the  whole  story  ;  and  Ansal  Wajoud 
84 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

said  to  him,  Fear  not ;  but  go  to  the  king,  and  take  me  with  thee ;  and  I 
will  be  surety  to  thee  for  the  coming  of  Ansal  Wajoud. 

So  the  vizier  rejoiced  at  this,  and  said  to  him,  Is  it  true  that  thou  sayest? 
He  answered,  Yes.  And  thereupon  he  mounted,  taking  him  with  him, 
and  conducted  him  to  the  king ;  who,  when  they  came  to  him,  said  to  the 
vizier,  Where  is  Ansal  Wajoud  ?  To  which  Ansal  Wajoud  replied,  O 
king,  I  know  where  Ansal  Wajoud  is.  And  the  king  called  him  near  to 
him,  and  said,  In  what  place  is  he  1  He  answered,  In  a  place  very  near : 
but  inform  me  what  thou  desirest  of  him,  and  then  will  I  bring  him  before 
thee.  The  king  replied,  Most  willingly  ;  but  this  affair  requireth  privacy. 
Then  he  commanded  the  people  to  retire,  and,  having  gone  with  him  into 
a  closet,  acquainted  him  with  the  story  from  first  to  last;  whereupon  Ansal 
Wajoud  said  to  him,  Supply  me  with  rich  apparel,  and  cause  me  to  be  clad 
in  it,  and  I  will  bring  to  thee  Ansal  Wajoud  quickly.  The  king  therefore 
brought  to  him  a  rich  suit,  and  he  put  it  on,  and  said,  I  am  Ansal  Wajoud, 
and  a  cause  of  grief  to  the  envious.  Then  he  smote  the  hearts  of  behold- 
ers by  his  glances,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

The  mention  of  the  beloved  cheereth  me  in  my  solitude  and  dispelleth  my  desolate 
feelings  in  estrangement. 

I  know  no  fountain  but  that  of  tears,  which,  flowing  from  mine  eye,  assuage  my 
anguish. 

My  longing  is  violent :  none  like  it  existeth  ;  and  the  story  of  my  love  and  affec- 
tion is  wonderful. 

I  pass  my  night  with  sleepless  eyelid,  and  walk  in  my  passion  between  hell  and 
Paradise. 

I  possessed  becoming  patience;  but  have  lost  it ;  and  love's  only  gift  to  me  is  af- 
fliction. 

I  am  wasted  by  the  pain  of  separation  from  her,  and  longing  hath  changed  my  as- 
pect and  form, 

And  mine  eyelids  are  wounded  by  my  tears,  the  flowing  of  which  I  can  not  pre- 
vent. 

My  strength  is  impaired,  and  I  have  lost  my  heart ;  and  how  many  griefs  in  suc- 
cession have  I  suffered ! 

And  my  heart  and  my  head  are  alike  aged  by  the  loss  of  a  mistress,  the  most 
beautiful  of  mistresses. 

In  spite  of  her  our  disjunction  took  place,  and  her  only  desire  is  to  find  and  meet 
me. 

Will  fortune,  after  separation  and  distance,  grant  me  the  enjoyment  of  union  with 
my  beloved, 

Close  the  book  of  estrangement  after  opening  it,  and  efface  my  trouble  by  the 
comforts  of  meeting  ? 

And  shall  my  beloved  be  my  cup-companion,  and  my  griefs  be  exchanged  for  pure 
delights  ? 

And  when  he  had  finished  his  verses,  the  king  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  ye 
are  two  sincere  lovers,  and  in  the  heaven  of  beauty  two  shining  stars ;  and 
your  case  is  wonderful,  and  your  affair  extraordinary.  Ansal  Wajoud  then 
said  to  the  king,  Where  is  Rose  in  Bloom,  O  king  of  the  age  ?  He  answer- 
ed, She  is  now  with  me.  And  he  summoned  the  cadi  and  witnesses,  per- 
formed the  ceremony  of  the  contract  of  her  marriage  to  him,  and  treated 
him  with  honor  and  beneficence  ;  and  he  sent  to  the  King  Shamik,  inform- 
ing him  of  all  that  had  happened  to  him  with  respect  to  Ansal  Wajoud  and 
Rose  in  Bloom. 

On  hearing  this  the  King  Shamik  rejoiced  exceedingly,  and  sent  to  the 
King  Dirbas  a  letter,  the  purport  of  which  was  this  :  Since  the  ceremony 
of  the  contract  hath  taken  place  at  thy  residence,  it  is  fit  that  the  festival 

85 


STORY   OF  ANSAL  WAJOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 


Camels  prepared  for  a  journey. 


and  the  conclusion  of  the  marriage  be  at  mine.  He  prepared  the  camels, 
and  horses,  and  men,  and  sent  for  them  ;  and  when  his  letter  was  brought 
to  the  King  Dirbas,  he  aided  them  with  a  great  sum  of  money,  and  sent 
them  with  a  party  of  his  soldiers,  who  proceeded  with  them  until  they  en- 
tered their  city  ;  and  it  was  a  noted  day  :  none  more  remarkable  had  ever 
been  witnessed.  The  King  Shamik  collected  all  the  mirth-exciting  instru- 
ments of  music,  and  made  banquets  ;  and  thus  they  continued  seven  days; 
on  each  of  which  the  king  conferred  upon  the  people  costly  robes  of  honor, 
and  bestowed  favors  upon  them.  And  after  this  Ansal  Wajoud  went  to 
Rose  in  Bloom  and  embraced  her;  and  they  sat  weeping  from  the  excess 
of  joy  and  happiness ;  and  Rose  in  Bloom  recited  these  verses  : 

Happiness  hath  come,  dispelling  care  and  grief.  We  are  united,  and  have  morti- 
fied our  enviers. 

The  fragrant  zephyr  of  union  hath  blown,  and  revived  the  heart,  and  the  bowels, 
and  the  body ; 

And  the  beauty  of  delight  hath  appeared  with  perfumes,  and  our  drums  of  glad 
tidings  have  been  beaten  around  us. 

Do  not  imagine  that  we  are  weeping  from  grief;  for  it  is  from  joy  that  our  tears 
have  flowed. 

How  many  terrors  have  we  seen!  but  they  have  passed;  and  we  have  borne  with 
patience  what  roused  up  anguish. 

One  hour  of  union  hath  made  me  forget  what  rendered  us  gray  from  excess  of 
terror. 

Then  they  embraced  each  other,  and  continued  to  do  so  until  they  fell  down 
senseless  from  the  delight  of  finding  themselves  together ;  and  when  they 
recovered.  Ansal  Wajoud  recited  these  verses : 
86 


STORY  OF  ANSAL  WA.TOUD  AND  ROSE  IN  BLOOM. 

O  how  sweet  are  the  nights  of  the  fulfillment  of  promise,  when  the  beloved  is  just 
to  me, 

And  when  we  are  uninterruptedly  united,  and  an  end  is  put  to  our  estrangement, 

And  fortune  cometh  with  favors  to  us,  after  turning  away  from  us  in  aversion  ! 

Prosperity  hath  set  up  her  standards  ibr  us,  and  we  have  drunk  from  her  hand  a 
cup  of  pleasure  ; 

And  we  have  met,  and  complained  to  each  other  of  sorrow,  and  of  nights  during 
which  we  have  suffered  oppression ; 

But  now  we  have  forgotten  our  griefs,  O  my  mistress ;  and  may  the  Compassion- 
ate pardon  what  is  past ! 

How  delightful  is  life,  and  how  sweet  is  it !  Union  hath  only  increased  my 
passion. 

And  after  this  they  embraced  again,  and  continued  carousing,  and  reciting 
verses,  and  pleasant  tales,  and  histories  until  they  were  drowned  in  the  sea 
of  love  ;  and  there  passed  over  them  seven  days  while  they  knew  not  night 
from  day,  through  the  excess  of  their  delight  and  happiness,  and  pleasure 
and  joy.  It  was  as  though  the  seven  days  were  one  day  not  succeeded  by 
another ;  and  they  knew  not  the  seventh  day  but  by  the  coming  of  the 
musical  instruments.  Then  they  went  forth  from  their  chamber,  and  be- 
stowed upon  the  people  money  and  dresses.  And  they  continued  together 
in  the  most  delightful  of  joys  until  they  were  visited  by  the  terminator  of 
delights  and  the  separator  of  companions.  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of 
Him  who  changeth  not  nor  ceaseth,  and  to  whom  every  thing  returneth  ! 


Ansal  Wnjom.1  and  the  gardener  among  tiie  birds 


87 


COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  FOUR 
HUNDRED  AND  TWENTY-FOURTH 
NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF 
THE  FOUR  HUNDRED  AND  THIRTY- 
FOURTH. 

THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

There  was,  in  the  city  of  Cairo,  a 
merchant  who  had  abundance  of  wealth, 
and  cash,  and  jewels,  and  minerals,  and 
possessions  incalculable,  and  his  name 
was  Hassan  the  Jeweler  of  Bagdad. 
God  had  also  blessed  him  with  a  son,  of 
handsome  countenance,  of  just  stature, 
rosy-cheeked,  endowed  with  elegance 
and  perfection,  and  beauty  and  loveliness; 
and  he  named  him  Ali  of  Cairo.  He  had 
taught  him  the  Koran,  and  science,  and 
eloquence,  and  polite  literature ;  and  he 
became  excellent  in  all  the  sciences,  and 
was  employed  by  his  father  in  commerce. 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

Now  a  disease  attacked  his  father,  and  so  increased  that  he  felt  sure  of 
death.  So  he  summoned  his  son  Ali  of  Cairo,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  son, 
verily  this  world  is  transitory,  and  the  world  to  come  is  everlasting  ;  every 
soul  must  taste  of  death ;  and  now,  O  my  son,  my  decease  hath  drawn  near, 
and  I  desire  to  give  thee  a  charge.  If  thou  act  according  to  it,  thou  wilt 
not  cease  to  be  safe  and  prosperous  until  thou  shalt  meet  God  (whose  name 
be  exalted  !)  ;  but  if  thou  act  not  according  to  it,  excessive  trouble  will  be- 
fall thee,  and  thou  wilt  repent  of  thy  neglecting  my  charge.  O  my  father, 
said  Ali,  how  should  I  refuse  to  attend  or  to  act  according  to  thy  charge, 
when  obedience  to  thee  is  an  obligation  divinely  imposed  upon  me,  and  the 
attending  to  thy  words  is  absolutely  incumbent  upon  me?  And  his  father 
rejoined,  O  my  son,  I  leave  to  thee  dwelling-places,  and  mansions,  and 
goods,  and  wealth  incalculable  ;  so  that  if  thou  expend  of  that  wealth  every 
day  five  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  naught  of  it  will  be  missed  by  thee.  But, 
O  my  son,  be  mindful  of  holding  the  fear  of  God,  and  obeying  the  ordi- 
nances which  He  hath  appointed  thee,  and  following  the  precepts  of  Mo- 
hammed (may  God  favor  and  preserve  him!)  in  the  things  that  he  is  re- 
lated to  have  commanded  and  forbidden  in  his  traditional  laws.  Be  assid- 
uous in  the  performance  of  acts  of  beneficence,  and  the  dispensing  of  kind- 
ness, and  associating  with  the  good,  and  just,  and  learned;  and  mind  that 
thou  care  for  the  poor  and  the  needy,  and  shun  avarice  and  niggardness, 
and  the  company  of  the  wicked,  and  those  who  are  objects  of  suspicion. 
Regard  thy  servants  and  thy  family  with  benignity,  and  thy  wife  also;  for 
she  is  of  the  daughters  of  the  great,  and  she  is  now  likely  to  bear  thee  issue : 
perhaps  God  will  bless  thee  with  virtuous  offspring  by  her.  He  ceased 
not  to  admonish  him,  and  to  weep,  and  say  to  him,  O  my  son,  I  beg  of  God, 
the  Bountiful,  the  Lord  of  the  magnificent  throne,  that  He  save  thee  from 
every  difficulty  that  may  befall  thee,  and  grant  thee  his  ready  relief.  And 
his  son  wept  violently,  and  said,  O  my  father,  by  Allah  I  am  dissolved  by 
these  words  :  it  seemeth  that  thou  utterest  the  language  of  him  who  bid- 
deth  farewell.  His  father  replied,  Yes,  O  my  son,  I  know  my  state:  and 
forget  not  thou  my  charge.  Then  the  man  began  to  repeat  the  two  pro- 
fessions of  the  faith,  and  to  recite  [portions  of  the  Koran],  until  the  known 
period  arrived  ;  when  he  said  to  his  son,  Draw  near  to  me,  O  my  son.  So 
lie  drew  near  to  him,  and  his  father  kissed  him,  and  uttered  a  groan,  where- 
upon his  soul  quitted  his  body,  and  he  was  admitted  to  the  mercy  of  God, 
whose  name  be  exalted  ! 

His  son  was  affected  with  extreme  grief;  a  clamor  arose  in  his  house, 
and  the  companions  of  his  father  came  together  to  him.  He  betook  him- 
self to  preparing  his  corpse  for  burial,  and  expediting  the  funeral,  and  con- 
veyed forth  the  body  in  a  magnificent  manner.  They  bore  the  corpse  to 
the  place  of  prayer,  and  prayed  over  it;  after  which  they  departed  with 
it  to  the  burial-ground,  and  buried  it,  and  recited  over  it  what  was  easy  of 
the  sublime  Koran.  Then  they  returned  to  the  house,  and  consoled  the 
son  of  the  deceased,  and  each  of  them  went  his  way;  and  the  deceased's 
son  performed  for  him  the  ceremonies  of  the  Fridays,  and  recitations  of 
the  whole  of  the  Koran,  to  the  end  of  forty  days.  He  remained  in  the 
house,  and  went  not  forth  save  to  tin:  place  of  prayer;  and  Friday  after 
Friday  he  visited  his  father's  tomb. 

He  ceased  not  to  perse'  ere  in  his  prayer,  and  his  recitation  [of  the  Ko- 
ran], and  his  devotion,  fo    a  length  of  time,  until  his  fellows,  of  the  sons  of 

89 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 


Burial-ground. 

the  merchants,  came  in  to  him  and  saluted  him,  and  said  to  him,  How  long 
shall  continue  this  mourning  of  thine,  and  the  relinquishment  of  thine  oc- 
cupation and  thy  traffic,  and  of  thine  assembling  with  thy  companions? 
This  conduct  will  weary  thee,  and  excessive  injury  will  result  from  it  unto 
thy  body.  And  when  they  came  in  to  him,  Eblis  the  accursed  was  with 
them,  suggesting  evil  to  them.  So  they  proceeded  to  recommend  to  him 
that  he  should  go  forth  with  them  to  the  market,:  and  Eblis  seduced  him 
to  comply  with  their  request  until  he  consented  to  go  forth  with  them  from 
the  house,  in  order  to  the  accomplishment  of  an  event  which  God  (whose 
perfection  be  extolled,  and  whose  name  be  exalted!)  would  bring  to  pass. 
They  then  said  to  him,  Mount  thy  mule,  and  repair  with  us  to  such  a  gar- 
den, that  we  may  amuse  ourselves  there,  and  that  thy  grief  and  trouble  of 
mind  may  be  dispelled. 

He  therefore  mounted  his  mule,  took  his  slave  with  him,  and  accom- 
panied them  to  the  garden  which  they  desired  to  visit.  And  when  they 
came  into  the  garden,  one  of  them  went  and  prepared  for  them  the  dinner, 
and  caused  it  to  be  brought  thither.  So  they  ate,  and  enjoyed  themselves, 
and  sat  conversing  until  the  close  of  the  day,  when  they  mounted  and  de- 
parted, each  of  them  returning  to  his  abode.  And  they  passed  the  night ; 
and  when  the  morning  arrived,  they  came  to  him  again,  and  said  to  him, 
Arise,  and  accompany  us.  Whither?  he  asked.  They  answered,  To 
such  a  garden  ;  for  it  is  better  than  that  to  which  we  went  first,  and  more 
pleasant.  And  he  mounted  and  went  with  them  to  that  garden  ;  and  when 
they  had  arrived  there,  one  of  them  went  and  made  ready  their  dinner,  and 
brought  it  to  the  garden,  together  with  intoxicating  wine ;  and  they  ate. 
GO 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

They  then  brought  the  wine  ;  and  he  said  to  them,  What  is  this  ?  They 
answered  him,  This  is  what  dispelleth  grief,  and  manifesteth  happiness. 
And  they  ceased  not  to  recommend  it  to  him  until  they  overcame  him,  and 
he  drank  with  them ;  and  they  continued  conversing  and  drinking  till  the 
close  of  the  day,  when  they  returned  to  their  abodes.  But  Ali  of  Cairo 
was  affected  with  a  giddiness  from  drinking,  and  he  went  to  his  wife  in 
this  state;  so  she  said  to  him,  How  is  it  that  thou  art  changed?  He  an- 
swered, We  were  to-day  making  merry  and  enjoying  ourselves  ;  but  one 
of  our  companions  brought  us  some  liquor,  which  my  companions  drank, 
and  I  with  them,  and  this  giddiness  came  upon  me.  His  wife  therefore 
said  to  him,  O  my  master,  hast  thou  forgotten  the  charge  of  thy  father,  and 
done  that  which  he  forbade  thee  to  do,  in  associating  with  people  who  are 
objects  of  suspicion  ?  But  he  answered  her,  Verily  these  are  of  the  sons 
of  the  merchants,  and  are  not  persons  who  are  objects  of  suspicion :  they 
are  only  people  of  pleasure  and  enjoyment. 

He  continued  incessantly  every  day  with  his  companions  in  this  manner. 
They  went  from  place  to  place,  eating  and  drinking,  until  they  said  to  him, 
Our  turns  are  ended,  and  the  turn  is  come  to  thee.  And  he  replied,  A 
friendly,  and  free,  and  ample  welcome  to  you !  And  when  he  arose  in  the 
morning,  he  made  ready  all  that  the  case  required,  of  food  and  drink,  much 
more  than  they  had  done,  and  took  with  him  the  cooks,  and  the  farrashes,  and 
the  coffee-makers,  and  they  repaired  to  Rodah  and  the  Nilometer.*     There 


jli-.ra.cJ  ".  i 


«£^ 


Nilometer  and  part  of  Masrel-Ateekah. 


they  remained  a  whole  month,  eating  and  drinking,  and  hearing  music,  and 
enjoying  themselves;  and  when  the  month  had  passed,  Ali  saw  that  he 
had  expended  a  sum  of  money  of  large  amount ;  but  Eblis  the  accursed  de- 
ceived him,  and  said  to  him,  If  thou  shouldst  expend  every  day  as  much  as 

*  Rodah  means  "  garden  ;"  it  is  the  name  of  a  pleasant  island  in  the  Nile,  near  Cairo. 
The  Nilometer  is  at  its  southern  extremity. 

91 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

thou  hast  already,  thy  wealth  would  not  fail  thee.  So  he  cared  not  for 
expending  his  wealth.  He  continued  to  do  thus  for  the  space  of  three 
years ;  his  wife  admonishing  him,  and  reminding  him  of  the  charge  of  his 
father;  but  he  attended  not  to  her  words  until  all  the  ready  money  that 
he  had  was  exhausted.  Theu  he  began  to  take  of  the  jewels,  and  to  sell 
them,  and  expend  their  prices,  till  he  exhausted  them  also.  After  this  he 
betook  himself  to  selling  the  houses  and  other  immovable  possessions  until 
none  of  them  remained.  And  when  they  were  gone,  he  proceeded  to  sell 
the  fields  and  gardens,  one  after  another,  till  all  of  them  were  gone,  and 
there  remained  nothing  in  his  possession  but  the  house  in  which  he  re- 
sided. He  therefore  wrenched  out  its  marbles  and  its  wood-work,  and  ex- 
pended of  the  money  which  they  produced,  till  he  made  an  end  of  them 
all;  and  he  considered  in  his  mind,  and  found  that  he  had  nothing  to  ex- 
pend :  so  he  sold  the  house,  and  expended  its  price.  Then,  after  that,  the 
person  who  had  bought  of  him  the  house  came  and  said  to  him,  See  for 
thyself  a  lodging  ;  for  I  am  in  want  of  my  house. 

He  now  considered  in  his  mind,  and  found  that  he  had  nothing  requiring 
a  house  excepting  his  wife,  who  had  borne  him  a  son  and  a  daughter;  and 
there  remained  not  with  him  any  servants;  but  there  were  only  himself 
and  his  family.  So  he  took  for  himself  an  apartment  in  a  ruined  quarter 
of  the  town,  and  there  he  resided,  after  grandeur  and  delicacy,  and  abund- 
ance of  servants  and  wealth ;  and  he  became  destitute  of  one  day's  food. 
His  wife  therefore  said  to  him,  Of  this  I  used  to  caution  thee,  saying  to 
thee.  Keep  the  charge  of  thy  father.  But  thou  wouldst  not  attend  to  my 
words ;  and  there  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the 
Great!  Whence  shall  the  little  children  obtain  food?  Arise  then,  and  go 
round  to  thy  companions  the  sons  of  the  merchants.  Perhaps  they  will 
give  thee  something  wherewith  we  may  sustain  ourselves  this  day.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  arose  and  repaired  to  his  companions,  one  after  another ;  but 
every  one  of  them  unto  whom  he  went  hid  his  face  from  him,  and  made 
him  to  hear  painful  words,  such  as  he  abhorred,  and  not  one  of  them 
gave  him  any  thing.  So  he  returned  to  his  wife,  and  said  to  her,  They 
have  not  given  me  any  thing.  And  upon  this  she  arose  and  went  to  her 
neighbors,  to  demand  of  them  something  wherewith  they  might  sustain 
themselves  that  day.  She  repaired  to  a  woman  whom  she  knew  in  the 
former  days,  and  when  she  went  in  to  her,  and  her  friend  saw  her  state, 
she  arose  and  received  her  kindly,  weeping  and  saying  to  her,  What  hath 
befallen  you  ?  She  therefore  related  to  her  all  that  her  husband  had  done  ; 
and  her  friend  said  to  her,  An  ample,  and  a  friendly,  and  free  welcome  to 
thee !  Whatsoever  thou  requirest,  demand  it  of  me,  without  compensa- 
tion. And  she  replied,  May  God  requite  thee  well !  Then  her  friend 
gave  her  as  much  provision  as  would  suffice  her  and  her  family  for  a  whole 
month  ;  and  she  took  it  and  returned  to  her  abode.  And  when  her  husband 
saw  her,  he  wept,  and  said  to  her,  Whence  obtainedst  thou  that  ?  She 
answered  him,  From  such  a  woman  ;  for  when  I  informed  her  of  that 
which  hath  happened,  she  failed  not  in  aught ;  but  said  to  me,  All  that  thou 
requirest  demand  of  me.  And  upon  this  her  husband  said  to  her,  Since 
thou  hast  this,  I  will  repair  to  a  place  that  I  desire  to  visit.  Perhaps  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  will  dispel  our  trouble. 

He  took  leave  of  her,  and  kissed  his  children,  and  went  forth,  not  know- 
ing whither  to  go.     He  walked  on  without  stopping  until  he  arrived  at 
92 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 


A  boat  of  the  Nile. 

Boukk,  where  he  beheld  a  vessel  about  to  depart  to  Daraietta  ;  and  a  man 
who  had  been  a  companion  of  his  father  saw  him ;  so  he  saluted  him,  and 
said  to  him,  Whither  desirest  thou  to  go  ?  He  answered,  I  desire  to  go 
to  Damietta;  fori  have  companions  respecting  whom  I  would  inquire,  and 
whom  I  would  visit :  then  I  will  return.  And  the  man  took  him  to  his 
house,  treated  him  honorably,  made  for  him  provisions  for  the  voyage,  and, 
having  given  him  some  pieces  of  gold,  embarked  him  in  the  vessel  that  was 
going  to  Damietta.  Aud  when  they  arrived  at  that  place,  he  landed,  but 
knew  not  whither  to  go.  While  he  was  walking,  however,  a  man  of  the 
merchants  saw  him,  and  was  moved  with  sympathy  for  him,  aud  he  took 
him  with  him  to  his  abode.  He  therefore  remained  with  him  some  time  ; 
after  which  he  said  within  himself,  How  long  shall  I  thus  reside  in  other 
men's  houses  ?  Then  he  went  forth  from  the  house  of  that  merchant,  and 
beheld  a  vessel  about  to  sail  to  Syria;  and  the  man  with  whom  ho  was 
lodging  prepared  for  him  provisions  for  the  voyage,  and  embarked  him  in 
that  vessel,  aud  it  proceeded  with  its  passengers  until  they  arrived  at  tho 
coast  of  Syria.  Ali  of  Cairo  there  landed,  and  he  journeyed  until  he  en- 
tered Damascus  ;  and  as  he  was  walking  in  its  great  thoroughfare  streets, 
a  man  of  the  benevolent  saw  him  and  took  him  to  his  abode,  where  he  re- 
mained some  time.  And  after  that  he  went  forth,  and  beheld  a  caravan 
about  to  journey  to  Bagdad  ;  upon  which  it  occurred  to  his  mind  that  he 
should  journey  with  it.  So  he  returned  to  the  merchant  in  whose  abode 
he  was  residing,  took  leave  of  him,  and  went  forth  with  the  caravan ;  and 
God  (whose  perfection  be  extolled,  and  whose  name  be  exalted!)  moved 
a  man  of  the  merchants  with  sympathy  for  him  :  he  therefore  took  him  as 
his  guest,  and  Ali  ate  and  drank  with  him  until  there  remained  between 
them  and  Bagdad  one  day's  journey.  Then  there  came  upon  the  caravan 
a  party  of  robbers  who  were  intercepters  of  the  way,  and  they  took  all  that 
was  with  them,  and  only  a  few  escaped. 

Every  person  of  the  caravan  went  to  seek  for  a  place  of  refuge.  But  as 
to  Ali  of  Cairo,  he  repaired  to  Bagdad,  and  he  arrived  there  at  sunset :  he 
reached  not,  however,  the  gate  of  the  city  until  he  beheld  the  gate-keepers 
about  to  close  it.     So  he  said  to  them,  Let  me  come  in  to  you.     And  they 

9.1 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 


A  street  in  Damascus. 


admitted  him  among  them,  and  said  to  him,  Whence  hast  thou  come,  and 
whither  dost  thou  go  ?  He  answered,  I  am  a  man  of  the  city  of  Cairo,  and 
I  brought  with  me  merchandise,  and  mules,  and  loads,  and  slaves,  and  young 
men,  and  I  came  on  before  them  to  see  for  me  a  place  in  which  to  deposit 
my  merchandise  ;  but  as  I  preceded  them,  mounted  on  my  mule,  there 
met  me  a  party  of  the  intercepters  of  the  way,  who  took  my  mule  and  my 
things,  and  I  escaped  not  from  them  till  I  was  about  to  yield  my  last  breath. 
And  they  treated  him  with  honor,  and  said  to  him,  Thou  art  welcome. 
Pass  the  night  with  us  until  the  morning,  and  then  we  will  see  for  thee  a 
place  suitable  to  thee.  And  he  searched  in  his  pocket  and  found  a  piece 
of  gold  remaining  of  those  which  the  merchant  at  Boulak  had  given  him  : 
so  he  gave  that  piece  of  gold  to  one  of  the  gate-keepers,  saying  to  him, 
94 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

Take  this  and  change  it,  and  bring  us  something  to  eat.  He  therefore  took 
it  and  repaired  to  the  market,  where  he  changed  it,  and  he  brought  to  Ali 
some  bread  and  cooked  meat ;  and  he  ate  with  them,  and  slept  with  them 
till  the  morning. 

Then  one  of  the  gate-keepers  took  him  and  conducted  him  to  a  man  of 
the  merchants  of  Bagdad,  to  whom  he  related  his  story ;  and  that  man  be- 
lieved him,  imagining  that  he  was  a  merchant,  and  that  he  had  brought  with 
him  loads  of  goods.  So  he  took  him  up  into  his  shop,  treated  him  with 
honor,  and  sent  to  his  abode,  whence  he  caused  to  be  brought  for  him  a 
magnificent  suit  of  his  own  clothing ;  and  he  conducted  him  into  the  bath. 
I  went  with  him,  says  Ali  of  Cairo,  into  the  bath,  and  when  we  came  forth, 
he  took  me  and  conducted  me  to  his  abode,  where  dinner  was  brought  to 
us,  and  we  ate  and  enjoyed  ourselves.     He  then  said  to  one  of  his  slaves, 

0  Mesoud,  take  thy  master,  and  show  him  the  two  houses  that  are  in  such 
a  place,  and  whichever  of  them  pleaseth  him,  give  him  the  key  of  it,  and 
come  back.  I  therefore  went  with  the  slave  until  we  came  to  a  by-street 
wherein  were  three  houses  adjacent  to  each  other,  new  and  closed ;  and 
he  opened  the  first  house,  and  I  looked  over  it,  and  we  came  forth  and 
went  to  the  second,  which  he  opened,  and  I  looked  over  it.  And  he  said 
to  me,  Of  which  of  the  two  shall  I  give  thee  the  key  ?  I  said  to  him,  And 
to  whom  belongeth  this  great  house  ?  He  answered,  To  us.  So  I  said  to 
him,  Open  it,  that  we  may  look  over  it.  He  replied,  Thou  hast  no  need 
of  it.  Why  so?  I  asked.  He  answered,  Because  it  is  haunted,  and  no 
one  lodgeth  in  it  but  in  the  morning  he  is  a  corpse ;  and  we  open  not  its 
door  to  take  forth  the  dead  from  it;  but  go  up  on  the  roof  of  one  of  the 
two  other  houses,  and  thence  take  it  up ;  and  on  that  account  my  master 
hath  abandoned  it,  and  said,  I  will  not  henceforth  give  it  to  any  one.     But 

1  said  to  him.  Open  it  to  me,  that  I  may  look  over  it.  And  I  said  within 
myself,  This  is  what  I  desire.  I  will  pass  the  night  in  it,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing be  a  corpse,  and  be  relieved  from  this  state  in  which  I  now  am.  So 
he  opened  it,  and  I  entered  it,  and  saw  it  to  be  a  magnificent  house,  of 
which  there  existed  not  the  like  ;  aud  I  said  to  the  slave,  I  choose  none  but 
this  house  ;  therefore  give  me  its  key.  But  he  replied,  I  will  not  give  thee 
the  key  until  I  consult  my  master.  Then  he  went  to  his  master,  and  said 
to  him,  The  merchant  of  Cairo  saith,  I  will  not  lodge  but  in  the  great  house. 
He  therefore  arose  and  came  to  Ali  of  Cairo,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  mas- 
ter, thou  hast  no  need  of  this  house.  Ali,  however,  replied,  I  will  not  lodge 
in  any  but  it,  and  I  care  not  for  these  words.  So  the  man  said  to  him, 
Write  a  voucher  agreed  upon  between  me  and  thee,  that,  if  any  thing  hap- 
pen to  thee,  I  am  not  implicated  with  thee.  Ali  replied,  So  be  it.  And 
the  merchant  brought  a  witness  from  the  cadi's  court,  and  wrote  a  voucher 
testifying  against  him,  and,  having  taken  it  into  his  keeping,  gave  him  the 
key.  He  therefore  took  it,  and  entered  the  house  ;  and  the  merchant  sent 
furniture  to  him  with  a  slave,  who  spread  it  for  him  upon  the  bench  that 
was  behind  the  door,  and  returned. 

After  that  Ali  of  Cairo  arose  and  went  within,  and  he  saw  a  well  in  the 
court  of  the  house,  with  a  bucket  over  it:  so  he  let  it  down  into  the  well 
and  filled  it,  and  performed  the  ablution  with  its  contents,  and  recited  his 
divinely-ordained  prayers.  Then  he  sat  a  little  ;  and  the  slave  came  to  him 
with  the  supper,  from  the  house  of  his  master,  bringing  for  him  also  a  lamp, 
and  a  candle  and  candle-stick,  and  a  basin  and  ewer,  and  a  water-bottle ; 

95 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

and  he  leff  him,  and  returned  to  his  master's  house.  So  AH  lighted  the 
candle,  and  supped,  and  enjoyed  himself,  and  performed  the  prayers  of 
nightfall;  after  which  he  said  within  himself,  Arise,  go  up  stairs,  and  take 
the  bed,  and  sleep  there,  rather  than  here.  Accordingly,  he  arose  and  took 
the  bed,  and  carried  it  up  stairs ;  and  he  beheld  a  magnificent  saloon,  the 
ceiling  of  which  was  gilded,  and  its  floor  and  its  walls  were  cased  with  color- 
ed marbles.  He  spread  his  bed,  and  sat  reciting  somewhat  of  the  sublime 
Koran  ;  and  suddenly  a  person  called  to  him  and  said  to  him,  O  AH  !  O  son 
of  Hassan,  shall  I  send  down  upon  thee  the  gold  ?  And  where,  said  AH,  is 
the  gold  that  thou  wilt  send  down  ?  And  he  had  not  finished  saying  so 
when  he  poured  down  upon  him  gold  as  from  a  catapult;  and  the  gold 


-~;^i^. 


Shower  of  gold. 

ceased  not  to  pour  down  until  it  had  filled  the  saloon.     And  when  it  was 
finished,  the  person  said,  Liberate  me,  that  I  may  go  my  way ;  for  my 
service  is  finished. 
96 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO- 

Upon  this  Ali  of  Cairo  said  to  him,  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah  the  Great 
that  thou  inform  me  of  the  cause  of  [the  descent  of]  this  gold.  And  he 
replied,  This  gold  was  preserved  for  thee  by  a  talisman  from  ancient  times, 
and  we  used  to  come  to  every  one  who  entered  this  house,  and  say  to  him, 
O  Ali!  O  son  of  Hassan  !  shall  we  send  down  the  gold  ?  And  he  would 
fear  at  our  words,  and  cry  out;  whereupon  we  would  descend  to  him 
and  break  his  neck,  and  depart.  But  when  thou  earnest,  and  we  called 
thee  by  thy  name  and  the  name  of  thy  father,  and  said  to  thee,  Shall  we 
send  down  the  gold  ?  thou  saidst  to  us,  And  where  is  the  gold  ?  so  we  knew 
that  thou  wast  the  owner,  and  we  sent  it  down.  There  remaineth  also  for 
thee  a  treasure  in  the  land  of  Yemen  ;  and  if  thou  wilt  journey  and  take  it, 
and  bring  it  hither,  it  will  be  better  for  thee.  And  I  desire  of  thee  that 
thou  liberate  me,  that  I  may  go  my  way.  But  Ali  said,  By  Allah,  I  will 
not  liberate  thee  until  thou  shalt  have  brought  hither  to  me  that  which  is  in 
the  land  of  Yemen.  He  said,  If  I  bring  it  to  thee,  wilt  thou  liberate  me, 
and  wilt  thou  liberate  the  servant  of  that  treasure  ?  Yes,  answered  Ali. 
And  he  said  to  him,  Swear  to  me.  So  he  swore  to  him.  And  he  was 
about  to  go;  but  Ali  of  Cairo  said  to  him,  I  have  yet  one  thing  for  thee  to 
perform.  And  what  is  it  ?  he  asked.  Ali  answered,  I  have  a  wife  and 
children  in  Cairo,  in  such  a  place ;  and  it  is  requisite  that  thou  bring  them 
to  me,  easily,  without  injury.  And  he  replied,  I  will  bring  them  to  thee  in 
a  stately  procession,  and  in  a  litter,  and  with  servants  and  other  attendants, 
together  with  the  treasure  that  we  will  bring  thee  from  the  land  of  Ye- 
men, if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted !  Then  he  obtained 
permission  of  him  to  be  absent  three  days,  after  which  period  he  promised 
him  that  all  that  treasure  should  be  in  his  possession;  and  he  departed. 

And  in  the  morning  Ali  searched  about  the  saloon  for  a  place  in  which 
to  deposit  the  gold ;  and  he  saw  a  slab  of  marble  at  the  edge  of  the  raised 
floor  of  the  saloon,  in  which  was  a  turning-pin.  So  he  turned  the  pin,  and 
the  slab  removed,  and  there  appeared  to  him  a  door,  which  he  opened,  and 
he  entered  and  beheld  a  large  treasury,  in  which  were  bags  of  linen,  sew- 
ed. He  therefore  proceeded  to  take  the  bags,  and  to  fill  them  with  the  gold, 
and  put  them  into  the  treasury,  until  he  had  removed  all  the  gold  and  put 
it  into  the  treasury,  when  he  closed  the  door  and  turned  the  pin ;  where- 
upon the  slab  of  marble  returned  to  its  place.  Then  he  arose  and  descend- 
ed, and  seated  himself  upon  the  bench  that  was  behind  the  door.  And 
while  he  was  sitting,  a  person  knocked  at  his  door ;  and  he  arose  and  open- 
ed it,  and  saw  that  this  person  was  the  slave  of  the  owner  of  the  house ; 
and  when  the  slave  saw  him  there,  lie  returned  quickly  to  his  master,  to 
give  him  the  good  tidings.  On  his  coming  to  his  master,  he  said  to  him,  O 
my  master,  verily  the  merchant  who  hath  taken  up  his  lodging  in  the  house 
that  is  haunted  by  the  Genie  is  well,  in  prosperity,  and  he  is  sitting  upon 
the  seat  that  is  behind  the  door.  So  his  master  arose,  full  of  joy,  and  re- 
paired to  that  house,  taking  with  him  the  breakfast;  and  when  he  saw  Ali 
of  Cairo  he  embraced  him,  and  kissed  him  between  his  eyes,  and  said  to 
him,  What  hath  God  done  unto  thee?  He  answered,  Well;  and  I  slept 
not  but  up  stairs,  in  the  saloon  that  is  cased  with  marble.  And  the  mer- 
chant said  to  him,  Did  any  thing  come  to  thee,  or  didst  thou  see  aught? 
No,  answered  Ali ;  I  only  recited  as  much  as  was  easy  to  me  of  the  sub- 
lime Koran,  and  slept  until  the  morning,  when  I  rose  and  performed  the 
ablution,  and  prayed,  and  descended,  and  seated  myself  upon  this  bench. 
Vol.  II.— K  97 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 


Merchants  and  their  harems  awaiting  the  arrival 
of  the  caravan  of  Ali  of  Cairo. 

And  the  merchant  said.  Praise  be  to  God 
for  thy  safety  !  Then  he  arose  and  left 
him,  and  sent  to  him  black  slaves,  and  mam- 
louks,  and  female  slaves,  and  furniture,  and 
they  swept  the  house,  above  and  below,  spread  for  him  magnificent  furni- 
ture, and  there  remained  with  him  three  mamlouks  and  three  male  black 
slaves,  and  four  female  slaves  to  serve  him  :  the  rest  returned  to  the  house 
of  their  master.  And  when  the  merchants  heard  of  him.  they  sent  to  him 
presents  of  every  precious  thing,  even  of  eatables,  and  beverages,  and 
clothes,  and  took  him  with  them  into  the  market,  and  said  to  him.  When 
will  thy  merchandise  come  ?  He  answered  them,  After  three  days  it  will 
enter. 

Then,  when  the  three  days  had  passed,  the  servant  of  the  first  treasure, 
who  poured  down  to  him  the  gold  from  the  house,  came  to  him  and  said  to 
him,  Arise,  meet  the  treasure  that  I  have  brought  thee  from  Yemen,  and 
98 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 


thy  harem,  with  whom  is  a  portion  of  the  treasure  in  the  form  of  mag- 
nificent merchandise  ;  and  all  who  are  with  it,  of  mules,  and  horses,  and 
camels,  and  servants,  and  mamlouks,  all  of  them  are  of  the  Genii.  Now 
that  servant  had  repaired  to  Cairo,  where  he  found  that  the  wife  of  AH 
and  his  children,  during  this  period,  had  become  reduced  to  excessive  na- 
kedness and  hunger ;  and  he  conveyed  them  from  their  place  in  a  litter  to 
the  exterior  of  Cairo,  and  clad  them  in  magnificent  apparel,  of  the  apparel 
that  formed  part  of  the  treasure  of  Yemen.  And  when  he  came  to  Ali, 
and  informed  him  of  that  news,  he  arose  and  repaired  to  the  merchants, 
and  said  to  them,  Arise  and  go  forth  with  us  from  the  city  to  meet  the  car- 
avan with  which  is  our  merchandise,  and  honor  us  by  taking  with  you  your 
harems  to  meet  our  harem.     So  they  answered  him,  We  hear  and  obey. 

They  sent  and  caused  their  harems  to 
be  brought,  went  forth  all  together,  and 
alighted  in  one  of  the  gardens  of  the 
city,  where  they  sat  conversing.  And 
while  they  were  thus  engaged,  lo,  a 
dust  rose  in  the  midst  of  the  desert. 
They  therefore  arose  to  see  what  was 
the  cause  of  that  dust ;  and  it  dis- 
persed, and  discovered  mules,  and 
camel-drivers,  and  farrashes,  and  light- 
bearers,  who  approached  singing  and 
dancing  until  they  drew  near;  when 
the  chief  of  the  camel-drivers  advanced 
to  Ali  of  Cairo,  kissed  his  hand,  and 
said  to  him,  O  my  master,  we  have 
been  tardy  in  the  way ;  for  we  desired 
to  enter  yesterday  ;  but  we  feared  the 
intercepters  of  the  way ;  so  we  re- 
mained four  days  at  our  station,  until 


Dispersion  of  the  (ienii. 


It!) 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  dispelled  them  from  us.  And  the  mer- 
chants arose  and  mounted  their  mules,  and  proceeded  with  the  caravan  ; 
the  harems  remaining  behind  with  the  harem  of  Ali  of  Cairo  until  they 
mounted  with  them ;  and  they  entered  in  magnificent  procession.  The 
merchants  wondered  at  the  mules  loaded  with  chests,  and  the  women  of 
the  merchants  wondered  at  the  apparel  of  the  wife  of  the  merchant  Ali, 
and  at  the  apparel  of  her  children,  saying,  Verily  the  like  of  this  apparel 
existeth  not  in  the  possession  of  the  King  of  Bagdad  or  any  other  person  of 
all  the  kings,  and  great  men,  and  merchants. 

They  ceased  not  to  advance  in  their  stately  procession,  the  men  with  the 
merchant  Ali  of  Cairo,  and  the  women  with  his  harem,  until  they  entered 
the  house  and  alighted,  and  brought  the  mules  with  their  loads  into  the 
midst  of  the  court.  Then  they  put  down  the  loads,  and  stowed  them  in 
the  magazines,  and  the  harems  went  up  with  the  harem  of  Ali  to  the  sa- 
loon, and  they  saw  it  to  be  like  a  garden  abounding  with  trees,  spread  with 
magnificent  furniture.  They  sat  in  joy  and  happiness,  and  remained  sit- 
ting until  noon,  when  dinner  was  brought  up  to  them,  consisting  of  the  best 
of  viands  and  sweetmeats ;  and  they  ate,  and  drank  excellent  sherbet,  and 
scented  themselves  after  it  with  rose-water  and  perfume.  Then  they  took 
leave  of  him,  and  departed  to  their  abodes,  men  and  women.  And  when 
the  merchants  had  returned  to  their  dwellings,  they  sent  to  him  presents 
according  to  their  conditions.  The  harems  also  sent  gifts  to  the  harem, 
until  there  had  been  brought  to  them  an  abundance  of  female  slaves,  and 
male  black  slaves,  and  mamlouks,  and  of  all  kinds  of  things,  such  as  grains, 
and  sugar,  and  other  goods  incalculable.  And  as  to  the  merchant  of  Bag- 
dad, the  owner  of  the  house  in  which  Ali  was  residing,  he  remained  with 
him,  and  quitted  him  not ;  and  he  said  to  him,  Let  the  slaves  and  the  serv- 
ants take  the  mules  and  other  beasts  into  one  of  the  houses,  for  the  sake 
of  rest.  But  Ali  replied,  They  will  set  forth  on  their  journey  this  night 
to  such  a  place.  And  he  gave  them  permission  to  go  out  from  the  city, 
that  when  the  night  should  come  they  might  set  forth  on  their  journey  ; 
and  they  scarcely  believed  his  giving  them  permission  to  do  so  when  they 
took  leave  of  him  and  departed  to  the  exterior  of  the  city,  and  soared  through 
the  air  to  their  abodes. 

The  merchant  Ali  sat  with  the  owner  of  the  house  in  which  he  resided 
until  the  expiration  of  a  third  of  the  night,  when  they  separated,  and  the 
owner  of  the  house  repaired  to  his  abode.  Then  the  merchant  Ali  went 
up  to  his  harem,  and  saluted  them,  and  said  to  them,  What  happened  unto 
you  after  my  departure,  during  this  period  ?  So  his  wife  informed  him  of 
what  they  had  suffered  from  hunger,  and  nakedness,  and  fatigue  ;  and  he 
said  to  her,  Praise  be  to  God  for  safety  !  And  how  came  you  ?  O  my 
master,  she  answered,  I  was  sleeping  with  my  children  last  night,  and  sud- 
denly one  raised  me  from  the  ground,  together  with  my  children,  and  we 
soared  through  the  air;  but  no  injury  befell  us;  and  we  ceased  not  to  soar 
along  until  we  alighted  upon  the  ground  in  a  place  like  an  encampment  of 
Arabs,  where  we  saw  loaded  mules,  and  a  litter  borne  by  two  great  mules, 
surrounded  by  servants  consisting  of  pages  and  men.  So  I  said  to  them, 
Who  are  ye,  and  what  are  these  loads,  and  in  what  place  are  we  ?  And 
they  answered,  We  are  the  servants  of  the  merchant  Ali  of  Cairio,  the  son 
of  the  merchant  Hassan  the  Jeweler,  and  he  hath  sent  us  to  take  you  and 
to  convey  you  to  him  in  the  city  of  Bagdad.  I  said  to  them,  Is  the  distance 
100 


THE  STORY  UF  ALI  UF  CAlfiU. 

between  us  and  Bagdad  long  or  short  ?  And  they  answered  me,  Short ; 
for  between  us  and  it  is  no  more  than  the  space  to  be  traversed  during  the 
darkness  of  night.  Then  they  placed  us  in  the  litter,  and  the  morning 
came  not  before  we  were  with  you,  no  injury  having  befallen  us.  And 
who,  said  Ali,  gave  you  this  apparel  ?  She  answered,  The  chief  of  the  car- 
avan opened  one  of  the  chests  that  were  upon  the  mules,  took  forth  from  it 
these  garments,  and  attired  me  in  a  suit,  and  each  of  thy  children  in  a  suit; 
after  which  he  locked  the  chest  from  which  he  took  forth  the  dresses,  and 
gave  me  its  key,  saying  to  me,  Take  care  of  it  until  thou  give  it  to  thy  hus- 
band ;  and  here  it  is,  carefully  kept  in  my  possession.  Then  she  produced 
it  to  him  ;  and  he  said  to  her,  Knowest  thou  the  chest  ?  She  answered, 
Yes,  I  know  it.  So  he  arose  and  descended  with  her  to  the  magazines, 
and  showed  her  the  chests  ;  and  she  said  to  him,  This  is  the  chest  from 
which  he  took  forth  the  dresses.  He  therefore  took  the  key  from  her,  and 
put  it  into  the  lock,  and  opened  the  chest ;  and  he  saw  in  it  many  dresses, 
together  with  the  keys  of  all  the  other  chests  :  so  he  took  them  forth,  and 
proceeded  to  open  the  chests,  one  after  another,  and  to  amuse  himself  with 


Ali  of  Cairo  opening  the  chests  of  treasure. 

a  sight  of  their  contents,  consisting  of  treasured  jewels  and  minerals,  the 
like  of  which  existed  not  in  the  possession  of  any  of  the  kings. 

He  then  locked  the  chests,  took  their  keys,  and  went  up  with  his  wife  to 
the  saloon,  saying  to  her,  This  is  of  the  bounty  of  God,  whose  name  be  ex- 
alted !  And  after  this  he  took  her  and  led  her  to  the  marble  slab  in  which 
was  the  turning-pin,  and  he  turned  it,  and  opened  the  door  of  the  treasury, 
and,  entering  with  her,  showed  her  the  gold  that  ho  had  deposited  in  it; 
whereupon  she  said  to  him,  Whence  came  to  thee  all  this  ?     He  answer- 

101 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

ed  her,  It  came  to  me  through  the  bounty  of  my  Lord.  And  he  related  to 
her  what  had  happened  to  him  from  first  to  last ;  on  hearing  which  she  said 
to  him,  O  my  master,  all  this  is  through  the  blessing  attendant  upon  the 
prayer  of  thy  father,  when  he  prayed  for  thee  before  his  death,  and  said,  I 
beg  God  that  He  cast  thee  not  into  affliction  without  granting  thee  speedy 
relief.  So  praise  be  to  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  for  His  giving  thee 
relief,  and  making  amends  to  thee  by  bestowing  on  thee  more  than  hath 
been  lost  by  thee  !  I  conjure  thee,  then,  by  Allah,  O  my  master,  that  thou 
return  not  to  thy  former  ways  of  associating  with  those  who  are  objects  of 
suspicion.  Be  mindful  of  preserving  the  fear  of  God  (whose  name  be  ex- 
alted !)  in  private  and  in  public.  She  continued  to  admonish  him,  and  he 
replied,  I  accept  thine  admonition,  and  beg  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !) 
to  remove  far  from  us  the  wicked,  and  to  adapt  us  to  the  obedience  of  Him, 
and  to  the  compliance  with  the  precepts  of  his  Prophet ;  may  God  favor 
and  preserve  him ! 

He  lived  with  his  wife  and  children  a  most  comfortable  life,  and  he  took 
for  himself  a  shop  in  the  market  of  the  merchants,  placed  in  it  some  of  the 
jewels  and  precious  minerals,  and  sat  in  it,  attended  by  his  children  and 
his  mamlouks,  and  became  the  greatest  of  the  merchants  in  the  city  of  Bag- 
dad. So  the  King  of  Bagdad  heard  of  him,  and  sent  a  messenger  to  him 
desiring  his  presence  ;  and  when  the  messenger  came  to  him,  he  said  to 
him,  Answer  the  summons  of  the  king;  for  he  desireth  thee.  And  he  re- 
plied, I  hear  and  obey  ;  and  prepared  a  present  for  the  king.  He  took  four 
traj's  of  red  gold,  and  filled  them  with  jewels  and  minerals,  such  as  existed 
not  in  the  possession  of  the  kings  ;  and  he  took  the  trays  and  went  up  with 
them  to  the  king;  and  when  he  went  in  to  him,  he  kissed  the  ground  be- 
fore him,  and  greeted  him  with  a  prayer  for  the  continuance  of  his  glory 
and  blessings,  addressing  him  in  the  best  manner  he  could.  The  king  said 
to  him,  O  merchant,  thou  hast  cheered  our  country  by  thy  presence.  And 
he  replied,  O  king  of  the  age,  the  slave  hath  brought  thee  a  present,  and 
hopeth  that  thou  wilt  in  thy  favor  accept  it.  Then  he  placed  the  four  trays 
before  him;  and  the  king  uncovered  them  and  examined  them,  and  saw  that 
the  contents  were  jewels  such  as  he  possessed  not,  their  value  being  equal 
to  treasures  of  wealth.  He  therefore  said  to  him,  Thy  present  is  accepted, 
O  merchaut;  and  if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!),  we 
will  recompense  thee  with  the  like  of  it.  And  Ali  kissed  the  king's  hands, 
and  departed  from  him. 

Then  the  king  summoned  his  grandees,  and  said  to  them,  How  many  of 
the  kings  have  demanded  my  daughter  in  marriage?  They  answered  him, 
Many.  And  he  said  to  them,  Hath  any  one  of  them  presented  me  with 
the  like  of  this  present?  And  they  all  answered,  No;  for  there  existeth 
not  in  the  possession  of  any  of  them  its  like.  And  the  king  said,  1  beg  of 
God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  that  I  may  have  the  happiness  of  marrying 
my  daughter  to  this  merchant.  Then  what  say  ye  ?  The}'  answered  him, 
The  thing  should  be  as  thou  judgest.  And  he  ordered  the  eunuchs  to  carry 
the  four  trays  with  their  contents  into  his  palace.  He  then  had  an  inter- 
view with  his  wife,  and  put  the  trays  before  her  ;  and  she  uncovered  them, 
and  saw  in  them  things  like  which  she  possessed  not  a  single  piece.  So 
she  said  to  him,  From  which  of  the  kings  is  this  ?  Probably  it  is  from  one 
of  the  kings  who  have  demanded  my  daughter  in  marriage.  He  answer- 
ed, No  ;  but  it  is  from  a  merchant  of  Cairo,  who  hath  come  unto  us  in  this 
102 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

city  ;  and  when  I  heard  of  his  coming,  I  sent  to  him  a  messenger  to  bring 
him  to  us,  that  we  might  become  acquainted  with  him,  as  we  might  prob- 
ably find  in  his  possession  some  jewels  which  we  might  purchase  of  him  to 
fit  out  our  daughter.  He  therefore  obeyed  our  command,  and  brought  us 
these  four  trays,  which  he  offered  us  as  a  present;  and  I  saw  him  to  be  a 
handsome  young  man,  of  dignified  appearance,  and  perfect  intelligence,  and 
elegant  form,  almost  like  one  of  the  sons  of  the  kings.  And  on  my  seeing 
him,  my  heart  inclined  to  him,  and  my  bosom  became  dilated  at  beholding 
him,  and  I  desired  to  marry  my  daughter  to  him.  I  displayed  the  present 
to  the  great  men  of  my  kingdom,  and  said  to  them,  How  many  of  the  kings 
have  demanded  my  daughter  in  marriage  ?  And  they  answered,  Many. 
And  hath  any  one  of  them,  said  I,  brought  me  the  like  of  that  ?  To  which 
they  all  answered,  No,  by  Allah,  O  king  of  the  age;  for  there  existeth  not 
in  the  possession  of  any  one  of  them  the  like  of  that.  And  I  said  to  them, 
I  beg  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  that  I  may  have  the  happiness  of 
marrying  him  to  my  daughter.  What,  then,  say  ye  ?  They  answered, 
The  thing  should  be  as  thou  judgest.  Now  what  sayest  thou  ?  She  an- 
swered him,  The  affair  is  for  God  to  decide,  and  thee,  O  king  of  the  age  ; 
and  what  God  willeth  is  that  which  will  be.  And  he  replied,  If  it  be  the 
will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!),  we  will  not  marry  her  but  to  this 
young  man. 

He  passed  the  next  night,  and  when  the  morning  came,  he  went  up  to 
his  court  and  gave  orders  to  bring  the  merchant  Ali  of  Cairo,  and  all  the 
merchants  of  Bagdad.  So  they  all  came  ;  and  when  they  presented  them- 
selves before  the  king,  he  commanded  them  to  sit.  They  therefore  seated 
themselves.  He  then  said,  Bring  the  cadi  of  the  court.  And  he  came  be- 
fore him  ;  and  the  king  said  to  him,  O  cadi,  write  the  contract  of  my  daugh- 
ter's marriage  to  the  merchant  Ali  of  Cairo.  But  Ali  of  Cairo  said,  Par- 
don, O  our  lord  the  sultan,  it  is  not  fit  that  a  merchant  like  me  be  son-in- 
law  of  the  king.  The  king,  however,  replied,  I  have  bestowed  upon  thee 
that  favor,  together  with  the  office  of  vizier.  Then  he  invested  him  with 
the  robe  of  a  vizier  immediately ;  whereupon  he  seated  himself  on  the  chair 
of  the  vizier,  and  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  thou  hast  bestowed  upon  me  that 
favor,  and  1  am  honored  by  thy  beneficence  ;  but  hear  a  word  that  I  would 
say  to  thee.  He  replied,  Say,  and  fear  not.  And  he  said,  Since  thy  no- 
ble command  huth  been  given  to  marry  thy  daughter,  it  is  fit  that  she  bo 
married  to  my  son.  Hast  thou  a  son  ?  asked  the  king.  Yes,  answered 
Ali.  And  the  king  said,  Send  to  him  immediately.  He  replied,  I  hear 
and  obey;  and  he  sent  one  of  his  mamlouks  to  his  son,  and  caused  him  to 
be  brought ;  and  when  he  came  into  the  presence  of  the  king,  he  kissed  the 
ground  before  him,  and  stood  respectfully.  And  the  king,  looking  at  him, 
saw  him  to  be  more  lovely  than  his  daughter,  and  more  beautiful  than  she 
in  stature,  and  justness  of  form,  and  in  elegance,  and  in  every  charm.  He 
said  to  him,  What  is  thy  name,  O  my  son  ?  And  he  answered,  O  our  lord 
the  sultan,  my  name  is  Hassan.  And  his  age  at  that  time  was  fourteen 
years.  Then  the  king  said  to  the  cadi,  Write  the  contract  of  the  marriage 
of  my  daughter  to  Hassan  the  son  of  the  merchant  Ali  of  Cairo.  So  he 
wrote  the  contract  of  their  marriage,  and  the  affair  was  finished  in  the  most 
agreeable  manner;  after  which  every  one  who  was  in  the  court  went  his 
way,  and  the  merchants  went  down  behind  the  Vizier  Ali  of  Cairo  until  he 
arrived  at  his  house,  instated  in  the  office  of  vizier  ;  and  they  congratulated 

103 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 


I ■'-' ■■/j^piLi.'l.'tVl'lV ITS'  f  ' 


,! 


-  /;, 


-  #1  '  •iJR-CTfmlky 


Hassan  presented  to  the  sultan. 

him  on  that  event,  and  went  their  ways.  He  then  entered  the  apartment 
of  his  wife,  who,  seeing  him  clad  in  the  robe  of  a  vizier,  said  to  him,  What 
is  this  ?  He  therefore  related  to  her  the  case  from  beginning  to  end,  and 
said  to  her,  The  king  hath  married  his  daughter  to  Hassan  my  son.  And 
she  rejoiced  at  this  exceedingly. 

Then  Ali  of  Cairo  passed  the  night,  and  when  the  morning  arrived  he 
went  up  to  the  court,  and  the  king  met  him  graciously,  and  seated  him  by 
his  side,  treating  him  with  especial  favor,  and  said  to  him,  O  vizier,  we  de- 
sire to  celebrate  the  festivity,  and  to  introduce  thy  son  to  my  daughter. 
Ali  replied,  O  our  lord  the  sultan,  what  thou  judgest  to  be  well  is  well. 
And  the  king  gave  orders  to  celebrate  the  festivity.  They  decorated  the 
city,  and  continued  the  festivity  thirty  days,  in  joy  and  happiness;  and 
after  the  thirty  days  were  ended,  Hassan,  the  son  of  the  Vizier  Ali,  took 
the  king's  daughter  as  his  wife,  and  was  delighted  with  her  beauty  and 
loveliness.  The  king's  wife,  too,  when  she  saw  her  daughter's  husband, 
loved  him  greatly ;  and,  in  like  manner,  she  was  exceedingly  pleased  with 
his  mother.  Then  the  king  gave  orders  to  build  a  palace  for  Hassan  the 
son  of  the  vizier ;  and  they  built  for  him  quickly  a  magnificent  palace,  in 
which  he  resided  ;  and  his  mother  used  to  remain  with  him  some  days, 
and  then  descend  to  her  house.  So  the  king's  wife  said  to  her  husband,  O 
104 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

king  of  the  age,  the  mother  of  Hassan  can  not  reside  with  her  son  and  leave 
the  vizier,  nor  can  she  reside  with  the  vizier  and  leave  her  son.  He  re- 
plied, Thou  hast  spoken  truth.  And  he  gave  orders  to  build  a  third  palace 
by  that  of  Hassan  the  son  of  the  vizier ;  and  they  built  it  in  a  few  days ; 
after  which  the  king  commanded  to  remove  the  goods  of  the  vizier  to  that 
palace  ;  and  they  did  so  ;  and  the  vizier  took  up  his  abode  in  it.  The  three 
palaces  communicated  one  with  another :  so  when  the  king  desired  to 
speak  with  the  vizier,  he  walked  to  him  in  the  night,  or  sent  to  bring  him; 
and  in  like  manner  did  Hassan,  and  his  mother,  and  his  father.  They 
ceased  not  to  live  together  in  an  agreeable  manner,  and  to  pass  a  pleasant 
life  for  a  length  of  time. 

After  this  an  illness  attacked  the  king,  and  his  malady  increased  :  so  he 
summoned  the  grandees  of  his  kingdom,  and  said  to  them,  A  violent  disease 
hath  attacked  me,  and  perhaps  it  is  that  which  will  occasion  my  death :  I 
have,  therefore,  summoned  you  to  consult  you  respecting  an  affair,  and  do 
ye  give  me  the  advice  that  ye  judge  to  be  good.  They  said,  Respecting 
what  wouldst  thou  consult  us,  O  king  ?  And  he  answered,  I  have  become 
old,  and  have  fallen  sick,  and  am  in  fear  for  my  kingdom  after  me,  on  ac- 
count of  the  enemies  ;  wherefore,  I  desire  that  ye  all  agree  in  the  choice 
of  one,  that  I  may  inaugurate  him  as  king  during  my  life,  and  that  ye  may 
be  at  ease.  To  this  they  all  replied,  We  all  approve  of  the  husband  of  thy 
daughter,  Hassan  the  son  of  the  Vizier  Ali ;  for  we  have  observed  his  good 
sense,  and  perfection,  and  intelligence,  and  he  knoweth  the  rank  of  the 
great  and  the  small.  The  king  said  to  them,  And  do  ye  approve  of  that? 
They  answered,  Yes.  He  said  to  them,  Perhaps  ye  say  that  before  me 
through  a  modest  respect  for  me,  and  behind  my  back  ye  will  say  other- 
wise. But  they  all  replied,  By  Allah  our  words  are  the  same  in  public  and 
in  secret ;  they  change  not;  and  we  approve  of  him  with  joyful  hearts  and 
dilated  bosoms.  He  therefore  said  to  them,  If  the  affair  be  so,  bring  the 
cadi  of  the  holy  law,  and  all  the  chamberlains,  and  lieutenants,  and  chief  ^ 
men  of  the  kingdom  before  me  to-morrow,  and  we  will  finish  the  affair  in 
the  most  agreeable  manner.     And  they  replied,  We  hear  and  obey. 

They  departed  from  him,  and  summoned  all  the  learned  men,  and  the 
chief  persons  among  the  emirs,  and  when  the  morning  came,  they  went 
up  to  the  court,  and  sent  to  the  king,  begging  permission  to  come  in  to  him ; 
and  he  gave  them  permission.  So  they  entered,  and  saluted  him,  and  said, 
We  have  all  come  before  thee.  And  the  king  said  to  them,  O  emirs  of 
Bagdad,  whom  do  ye  like  to  be  king  over  you  after  me,  that  I  may  inaugu-  x 
rate  him  during  my  life  in  the  presence  of  you  all  ?  They  all  answered, 
We  have  agreed  to  accept  Hassan  the  son  of  the  Vizier  Ali,  and  husband 
of  thy  daughter.  And  he  said,  If  the  case  be  so,  arise  ye  all,  and  bring  him 
before  me.  So  they  all  arose  and  entered  his  palace,  and  said  to  him, 
Come  with  us  to  the  king.  For  what  purpose  ?  said  he.  And  they  an- 
swered him,  For  an  affair  advantageous  to  us  and  to  thee.  He  therefore 
arose  and  proceeded  with  them  until  they  went  in  to  the  king,  when  Has- 
san kissed  the  ground  before  him  ;  and  the  king  said  to  him,  Sit,  O  my  son.  < 
So  he  sat ;  and  the  king  said  to  him,  O  Hassan,  all  the  emirs  have  petition- 
ed in  thy  favor,  and  agreed  to  make  thee  king  over  them  after  me,  and  I 
desire  to  inaugurate  thee  during  my  life,  in  order  to  conclude  the  affair. 
But  upon  this  Hassan  arose  and  kissed  the  ground  before  the  king,  and  said 
to  him,  O  our  lord  the  king,  verily  among  the  emirs  is  he  who  is  older  than 
E*  105 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO 


Cadi  and  attendant  ulama. 


/ 


I,  and  of  higher  dignity  :  therefore  release  me  from  that  affair.  A1J  the 
emirs,  however,  said,  We  do  not  choose  but  that  thou  be  king  over  us.  He 
said  to  them,  My  father  is  older  than  I,  and  I  and  my  father  are  the  same, 
and  it  is  not  right  to  advance  me  above  him.  But  his  father  replied,  I  do 
not  approve  of  aught  but  that  of  which  my  brethren  approve,  and  they  have 
approved  of  thee,  and  agreed  to  have  thee  :  oppose  thou  not  the  command 
of  the  king,  nor  the  command  of  thy  brethren.  And  Hassan  hung  down  his 
head  toward  the  ground,  in  modest  respect  for  the  king,  and  for  his  father. 
So  the  king  said  to  them,  Do  ye  approve  of  him  ?  They  answered,  We 
do  approve  of  him.  And  they  all  recited,  in  testimony  thereof,  seven 
times,  the  opening  chapter  of  the  Koran.  Then  the  king  said,  O  cadi, 
write  a  legal  voucher,  testifying  of  these  emirs,  that  they  have  agreed  to 
acknowledge,  as  sultan,  Hassan,  the  husband  of  my  daughter,  and  that  he 
shall  be  king  over  them.  He  therefore  wrote  the  voucher  to  that  effect, 
and  signed  it,  after  they  had  all  inaugurated  him  as  king.  The  king  did  so 
likewise,  and  ordered  him  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  the  kingdom.  After 
this  all  arose  and  kissed  the  hands  of  the  King  Hassan  the  son  of  the  vizier, 
106 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

and  paid  homage  to  him  ;  and  he  exercised  authority  that  day  in  an  admira- 
ble manner,  and  conferred  magnificent  dresses  of  honor  upon  the  grandees 
of  the  kingdom. 

Then  the  court  broke  up,  and  Hassan  went  in  to  the  father  of  his  wife 
and  kissed  his  hands ;  and  he  said  to  him,  O  Hassan,  be  mindful  to  pre- 
serve the  fear  of  God  in  thy  conduct  toward  thy  subjects!  Hassan  replied, 
Through  thy  prayer  for  me,  O  my  father,  God's  guidance  will  be  given  me. 
He  then  entered  his  own  palace,  and  his  wife  met  him,  with  her  mother 
and  their  dependents,  and  they  kissed  his  hands,  and  said  to  him,  May  the 
day  be  blessed  !  and  they  congratulated  him  on  the  dignity  to  which  he  had 
been  raised.  Then  he  arose  and  went  from  his  palace  into  that  of  his  fa- 
ther ;  and  they  rejoiced  exceedingly  at  the  favor  which  God  had  granted 
him  in  conferring  upon  him  the  sovereignty  ;  and  his  father  charged  him  to 
preserve  the  fear  of  God,  and  to  act  with  clemency  to  his  subjects.  He 
passed  the  next  night  in  joy  and  happiness  until  the  morning ;  when  he 
performed  his  divinely-ordained  prayers,  and  finished  his  concluding  sup- 
plication, and  went  up  to  the  court.  All  the  troops  also  went  up  thither, 
and  the  dignitaries;  and  he  judged  among  the  people,  commanding  to  act 
kindly,  and  forbidding  iniquity,  and  he  invested  and  displaced,  and  ceased 
not  to  exercise  authority  until  the  close  of  the  day ;  whereupon  the  court 
broke  up  in  the  most  agreeable  manner,  and  the  troops  dispersed,  each  per- 
son going  his  way.  Then  Hassan  arose  and  entered  the  palace ;  and  he 
saw  that  the  illness  of  his  wife's  father  had  become  heavy  upon  him  :  so  he 
said  to  him,  No  harm  betide  thee  !  And  the  old  king  opened  his  eyes,  and 
said  to  him,  O  Hassan  !  He  replied,  At  thy  service,  O  my  lord.  And  the 
old  king  said  to  him,  Now  hath  the  end  of  my  life  drawn  near ;  therefore 
take  care  of  thy  wife  and  her  mother,  and  preserve  the  fear  of  God,  and 
an  affectionate  obedience  to  thy  parents  ;  stand  in  awe  of  the  majesty  of  the 
Requiting  King,  and  know  that  God  commandeth  justice  and  the  doing  of 
good.  The  King  Hassan  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  Then  the  old  king  re- 
mained three  days  after  that,  and  was  admitted  to  the  mercy  of  God,  whose 
name  be  exalted  !     So  they  prepared  his  body  for  burial,  and  shrouded  it, 


The  lung's  body  prepared  for  burial. 

and  performed  for  him  recitations  of  portions  and  of  the  whole  of  the  Koran 
until  the  end  of  the  forty  days  ;  and  the  King  Hassan,  the  son  of  the  vizier, 
became  absolute  monarch.  His  subjects  rejoiced  in  him,  and  all  his  days 
were  happy,  and  his  father  ceased  not  to  be  chief  vizier  on  his  right  hand, 
and  he  took  another  vizier  on  his  left.     His  affairs  were  well  ordered,  and 

107 


THE  STORY  OF  ALI  OF  CAIRO. 

he  remained  king  in  Bagdad  a  long  time  ;  he  was  also  blessed  with  three 
male  children  by  the  daughter  of  the  old  king,  and  they  inherited  the  king- 
dom after  him  ;  and  they  passed  a  most  comfortable  and  happy  life,  until 
they  were  visited  by  the  terminator  of  delights  and  the  separator  of  com- 
panions. Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  Him  who  is  eternal,  and  in  whose 
power  it  lieth  to  annul  and  to  confirm  ! 
108 


m 


]^si 


m 


u 


Biudbad  the  Porter. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

COMMENCING  WITH  THE  FIVE  HUND- 
RED AND  THIRTY-SEVENTH  NIGHT, 
AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE 
FIVE    HUNDRED    AND     SIXTY-SIXTH. 

THE  STORY  OF  SINDBAD  THE 
SAILOR  AND  SINDBAD  THE 
PORTER. 

There  was  in  the  time  of  the  caliph, 
the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Haroun 
Alrashid,  in  the  city  of  Bagdad,  a  man 
called  Sindbad  the  Porter.  He  was  a 
man  in  poor  circumstances,  who  bore 
burdens  for  hire  upon  his  head.  And 
it  happened  to  him  that  he  bore  one 
day  a  heavy  burden,  and  that  day  was  ( 
109 


f," 


SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR  AND  SINDBAD  THE  PORTER. 

excessively  hot;  so  he  was  wearied  by  the  load,  and  perspired  profusely, 
the  heat  violently  oppressing  him.  In  this  state  he  passed  by  the  door  of 
a  merchant,  the  ground  before  which  was  swept  and  sprinkled,  and  there 
the  air  was  temperate  ;  and  by  the  side  of  the  door  was  a  wide  bench. 
The  porter  therefore  put  down  his  burden  upon  that  bench,  to  rest  himself, 
and  to  scent  the  air  ;  and  when  he  had  done  so,  there  came  forth  upon  him, 
from  the  door,  a  pleasant,  gentle  gale,  and  an  exquisite  odor,  wherewith  the 
porter  was  delighted.  He  seated  himself  upon  the  edge  of  the  bench,  and 
heard  in  that  place  the  melodious  sound  of  stringed  instruments,  with  the 
lute  among  them,  and  mirth-exciting  voices,  and  varieties  of  distinct  recita- 
tions. He  heard  also  the  voices  of  birds,  warbling,  and  praising  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !)  with  diverse  tones  and  with  all  dialects  ;  consisting  of 
turtle-doves,  and  hezars,  and  blackbirds,  and  nightingales,  and  ring-doves, 
and  curlews ;  whereupon  he  wondered  in  his  mind,  and  was  moved  with 


Stone  curlew.  , 

great  delight.  He  then  advanced  to  that  door,  and  found  within  the  house 
a  great  garden,  wherein  he  beheld  pages,  and  slaves,  and  servants,  and 
other  dependents,  and  such  things  as  existed  not  elsewhere  save  in  the 
abodes  of  kings  and  sultans;  and  after  that  there  blew  upon  him  the  odor 
of  delicious,  exquisite  viands,  of  all  different  kinds,  and  of  delicious  wine. 

Upon  this  he  raised  his  eyes  toward  heaven,  and  said,  Extolled  be  thy 
perfection,  O  Lord  !  O  Creator !  O  Supplier  of  the  conveniences  of  life  ! 
Thou  suppliest  whom  Thou  wilt  without  reckoning !  O  Allah,  I  implore 
thy  forgiveness  of  all  offenses,  and  turn  to  Thee  repenting  of  all  my  faults ! 
O  Lord,  there  is  no  animadverting  upon  Thee  with  respect  to  thy  judg- 
ment and  thy  power;  for  Thou  art  not  to  be  questioned  regarding  that 
which  Thou  dost,  and  Thou  art  able  to  do  whatsoever  Thou  wilt!  Ex- 
tolled be  thy  perfection !  Thou  enrichest  whom  Thou  wilt,  and  whom 
Thou  wilt  Thou  impoverishes! !  Thou  magnifiest  whom  Thou  wilt,  and 
whom  Thou  wilt  Thou  abasest !  There  is  no  deity  but  Thou  !  How  great 
is  thy  dignity  !  and  how  mighty  is  thy  dominion !  and  how  excellent  is  thy 
government!  Thou  hast  bestowed  favors  upon  him  whom  Thou  choosest 
among  thy  servants,  and  the  owner  of  this  place  is  in  the  utmost  affluence, 
delighting  himself  with  pleasant  odors,  and  delicious  meats,  and  exquisite 
beverages  of  all  descriptions.  And  Thou  hast  appointed  unto  thy  creatures 
what  Thou  wilt,  and  what  Thou  hast  predestined  for  them  ;  so  that  among 
110 


SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR  AND  SINDBAD  THE  PQHTER. 

them  one  is  weary,  and  another  is  at  ease  ;  and  one  of  them  is  prosperous, 
and  another  is  like  me,  in  the  extreme  of  fatigue  and  abjection!  And  he 
recited  thus  : 

How  many  wretched  persons  are  destitute  of  ease!  and  how  many  are  in  luxury, 

reposiiiir  in  the  shade  ! 
I  find  myself  ailiicted  by  trouble  beyond  measure;  and  strange  is  my  condition, 

and  heavy  is  my  load; 
Others  are  in  prosperity,  and  from  wretchedness  are  free,  and  never  for  a  single 

day  have  borne  a  load  like  mine  ; 
Incessantly  and  amply  blessed,  throughout  the  course  of  life,  with  happiness  and 

grandeur,  as  well  as  drink  and  meat. 
All  men  whom  God  hath  made  are  in  origin  alike;  and  I  resemble  this  man,  and 

he  reseinbleth  me  ; 
But  otherwise,  between  us  there  is  a  difference  as  great  as  the  difference  that  we 

iiud  between  wine  and  vinegar. 
Yet  in  saying  this,  I  utter  no  falsehood  against  Thee,  [O  my  Lord!]  for  Thou  art 

wise,  and  with  justice  Thou  hast  judged. 

And  when  Sindbad  the  Porter  had  finished  the  recitation  of  his  verses,  he 
desired  to  take  up  his  burden  and  depart.  But  lo,  there  came  forth  to  him 
from  that  door  a  young  page,  handsome  in  countenance,  comely  in  stature, 
magnificent  in  apparel ;  and  he  laid  hold  upon  the  porter's  hand,  saying  to 
him,  Enter:  answer  the  summons  of  my  master;  for  he  calleth  for  thee. 
And  the  porter  would  have  refused  to  enter  with  the  page ;  but  he  could 
not.  He  therefore  deposited  his  burden  with  the  door-keeper  ia  the  en- 
tance  passage,  and,  entering  the  house  with  the  page,  he  found  it  to  be  a 
handsome  mansion,  presenting  an  appearance  of  joy  and  majesty.  And  he 
looked  toward  a  grand  chamber,  in  which  he  beheld  noblemen  and  great 
lords  ;  and  in  it  were  all  kinds  of  flowers,  and  all  kinds  of  sweet  scents,  and 
varieties  of  dried  and  fresh  fruits,  together  with  abundance  of  various  kinds 
of  exquisite  viands,  and  beverage  prepared  from  the  fruit  of  the  choicest 
grape  vines.  In  it  were  also  instruments  of  music  and  mirth,  and  varieties 
of  beautiful  slave  girls,  all  ranged  in  proper  order.  And  at  the  upper  end 
of  that  room  was  a  great  and  venerable  man,  in  the  sides  of  whose  beard 
gray  hairs  had  begun  to  appear.  He  was  of  handsome  form,  comely  in 
countenance,  with  an  aspect  of  gravity,  and  dignity,  and  majesty,  and  state- 
liness.  So,  upon  this,  Sindbad  the  Porter  was  confounded,  and  he  said 
within  himself,  By  Allah,  this  place  is  a  portion  of  Paradise,  or  it  is  the  pal- 
ace of  a  king  or  sultan  !  Then,  putting  himself  in  a  respectful  posture,  he 
saluted  the  assembly,  prayed  for  them,  and  kissed  the  ground  before  them  ; 
after  which  he  stood,  hanging  down  his  head  in  humility.  But  the  master 
of  the  house  gave  him  permission  to  seat  himself.  He  therefore  sat.  And 
the  master  of  the  house  had  caused  him  to  draw  near  unto  him,  and  now 
began  to  cheer  him  with  conversation,  and  to  welcome  him;  and  he  put 
before  him  some  of  the  various  excellent,  delicious,  exquisite  viands.  So 
Sindbad  the  Porter  advanced,  and,  having  said,  In  the  name  of  God,  the 
Compassionate,  the  Merciful,  ate  until  he  was  satisfied  and  satiated,  when 
he  said,  Praise  be  to  God  in  every  case  !  and  washed  his  hands,  and  thanked 
them  for  this. 

The  master  of  the  house  then  said,  Thou  art  vs  jlcome,  and  thy  day  is 
blessed.  What  is  thy  name,  and  what  trade  do.t  thou  follow  /  O  my 
master,  he  answered,  my  name  is  Sindbad  the  Porter,  and  I  bear  upon  my 
head  men's  merchandise  for  hire.  And  at  this  the  master  of  the  house 
smiled,  and  he  said  to  him,  Know,  O  porter,  that  thv  name  is  like   mine  ; 

111 


SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR  AND  SINDBAD  THE  PORTER. 

for  I  am  Sindbad  the  Sailor ;  but,  O  porter,  I  desire  that  thou  let  me  hear 
the  verses  that  thou  wast  reciting  when  thou  wast  at  the  door.  The 
porter  therefore  was  ashamed,  and  said  to  him,  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah  that 
thou  be  not  angry  with  me  ;  for  fatigue,  and  trouble,  and  paucity  of  what 
the  hand  possesseth  teach  a  man  ill  manners  and  impertinence.  His  host, 
however,  replied,  Be  not  ashamed ;  for  thou  hast  become  my  brother  :  re- 
cite then  the  verses,  since  they  pleased  me  when  I  heard  them  from  thee 
as  thou  recitedst  them  at  the  door.  So  upon  this  the  porter  recited  to  him 
those  verses,  and  they  pleased  him,  and  he  was  moved  with  delight  on 
hearing  them.  He  then  said  to  him,  O  porter,  know  that  my  story  is 
wonderful,  and  I  will  inform  thee  of  all  that  happened  to  me  and  befell  me 
before  I  attained  this  prosperity  and  sat  in  this  place  wherein  thou  seest 
me.  For  I  attained  not  this  prosperity  and  this  place  save  after  severe  fa- 
tigue, and  great  trouble,  and  many  terrors.  How  often  have  I  endured 
fatigue  and  toil  in  my  early  years !  I  have  performed  seven  voyages,  and 
connected  with  each  voyage  is  a  wonderful  tale  that  would  confound  the 
mind.  All  that  which  I  endured  happened  by  fate  and  destiny,  and  from 
that  which  is  written  there  is  no  escape  nor  flight. 


112 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


THE  FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

Know,  O  masters,  O  noble  persons,  that  I  had  a  father,  a  merchant,  who 
was  one  of  the  first  in  rank  among  the  people  and  merchants,  and  who 
possessed  abundant  wealth  and  ample  fortune.  He  died  when  I  was  a 
young  child,  leaving  to  me  wealth,  and  buildings,  and  fields ;  and  when  I 
grew  up,  I  put  my  hand  upon  the  whole  of  the  property,  ate  well  and  drank 
well,  associated  with  the  young  men,  wore  handsome  apparel,  and  passed 
my  life  with  my  friends  and  companions,  feeling  confident  that  this  course 
would  continue  and  profit  me ;  and  I  ceased  not  to  live  in  this  manner  for 
a  length  of  time.  1  then  returned  to  my  reason,  and  recovered  from  my 
heedlessness,  and  found  that  my  wealth  had  passed  away,  and  my  condi- 
tion had  changed,  and  all  [the  money]  that  I  had  possessed  had  gone.  1 
recovered  not  to  see  my  situation  but  in  a  state  of  fear  and  confusion  of 
mind,  and  remembered  a  tale  that  I  had  heard  before,  the  tale  of  our  Lord 
Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !),  respecting  his  say- 
ing, Three  things  are  bettor  than  three  :  the  day  of  death  is  better  than 

113 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

the  day  of  birth  ;  and  a  living  dog  is  better  than  a  dead  lion  ;  and  the  grave 
is  better  than  the  palace.  Then  I  arose,  and  collected  what  I  had,  of  ef- 
fects and  apparel,  and  sold  them;  after  which  I  sold  my  buildings  and  all 
that  my  hand  possessed,  and  amassed  three  thousand  pieces  of  silver;  and  it 
occurred  to  my  mind  to  travel  to  the  countries  of  other  people ;  and  I  re- 
membered one  of  the  sayings  of  the  poets,  which  was  this  : 

In  proportion  to  one's  labor,  eminences  are  gained ;  and  he  who  seeketh  eminence 

passeth  sleepless  nights. 
He  diveth  in  the  sea  who  seeketh  for  pearls,  and  succeedeth  in  acquiring  lordship 

and  good  fortune. 
Whoso  seeketh  eminence  without  laboring  for  it,  loseth  his  life  in  the  search  of 

vanity. 

Upon  this  I  resolved,  and  arose  and  bought  for  myself  goods,  and  com- 
modities, and  merchandise,  with  such  other  things  as  were  required  for 
travel,  and  my  mind  had  consented  to  my  performing  a  sea-voyage.  So  I 
embarked  in  a  ship,  and  it  descended  to  the  city  of  Balsora,  with  a  com- 
pany of  merchants,  and  we  traversed  the  sea  for  many  days  and  nights. 
We  had  passed  by  island  after  island,  and  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  land  to 
land ;  and  in  every  place  by  which  we  passed  we  sold  and  bought,  and  ex- 
changed merchandise.  We  continued  our  voyage  until  we  arrived  at  an 
island  like  one  of  the  gardens  of  Paradise,  and  at  that  island  the  master  of 
the  ship  brought  her  to  anchor  with  us.  He  cast  the  anchor,  and  put  forth 
the  landing-plank,  and  all  who  were  in  the  ship  landed  upon  that  island. 
They  had  prepared  for  themselves  fire-pots,  and  they  lighted  the  fires  in 
them;  and  their  occupations  were  various  :  some  cooked ;  others  washed  ; 
and  others  amused  themselves.  I  was  among  those  who  were  amusing 
themselves  upon  the  shores  of  the  island,  and  the  passengers  were  assem- 
bled to  eat,  and  drink,  and  play,  and  sport.  But  while  Ave  were  thus  en- 
gaged, lo,  the  master  of  the  ship,  standing  upon  its  side,  called  out  with  his 
loudest  voice,  O  ye  passengers,  whom  may  God  preserve  !  come  up  quickly 
into  the  ship,  hasten  to  embark,  and  leave  your  merchandise,  and  flee  with 
your  lives,  and  save  yourselves  from  destruction ;  for  this  apparent  island, 
upon  which  ye  are,  is  not  really  an  island,  but  it  is  a  great  fish  that  hath  be- 
come stationary  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  and  the  sand  hath  accumulated  upon 
it,  so  that  it  hath  become  like  an  island,  and  trees  have  grown  upon  it  since 
times  of  old ;  and  when  ye  lighted  upon  it  the  fire,  it  felt  the  heat,  and  put 
itself  in  motion,  and  now  it  will  descend  with  you  into  the  sea,  and  ye  will 
all  be  drowned  :  then  seek  for  yourselves  escape  before  destruction,  and 
leave  the  merchandise  !  The  passengers,  therefore,  hearing  the  words  of 
the  master  of  the  ship,  hastened  to  go  up  into  the  vessel,  leaving  the  mer- 
chandise, and  their  other  goods,  and  their  copper  cooking-pots,  and  their 
fire-pots ;  and  some  reached  the  ship,  and  others  reached  it  not.  The  isl- 
and had  moved,  and  descended  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  with  all  that  were 
upon  it,  and  the  roaring  sea,  agitated  with  waves,  closed  over  it. 

I  was  among  the  number  of  those  who  remained  behind  upon  the  island  ; 
so  I  sank  in  the  sea  with  the  rest  who  sank.  But  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted  !)  delivered  me  and  saved  me  from  drowning,  and  supplied  me  with 
a  great  wooden  bowl,  of  the  bowls  in  which  the  passengers  had  been  wash- 
ing, and  I  laid  hold  upon  it  and  got  into  it,  induced  by  the  swreetness  of  life, 
and  beat  the  water  with  my  feet  as  with  oars,  while  the  waves  sported 
with  me,  tossing  me  to  the  right  and  left.  The  master  of  the  vessel  had 
114 


KIl'ST  VOYAGE  OF  8INDBAD  THE  SAIT.UR 


-    - 


V^^MSjSr-.-  jj^-l  isc»rr^fejS^ 


Sindbad  the  Sailor  in  the  bowl. 

caused  her  sails  to  be  spread,  and  pursued  his  voyage  with  those  who  had 
embarked,  not  regarding  such  as  had  been  submerged;  and  I  ceased  not  to 
look  at  that  vessel  until  it  was  concealed  from  my  eye.  I  made  sure  of 
destruction,  and  night  came  upon  me  while  I  was  in  this  state ;  but  I  re- 
mained so  a  day  and  a  night,  and  the  wind  and  the  waves  aided  me  until 
the  bowl  came  to  a  stoppage  with  me  under  a  high  island,  whereon  were 
trees  overhanging  the  sea.  So  I  laid  hold  upon  a  branch  of  a  lofty  tree, 
and  clung  to  it,  after  I  had  been  at  the  point  of  destruction;  and  I  kept 
hold  upon  it  uutil  I  landed  on  the  island,  when  I  found  my  legs  benumbed, 
and  saw  marks  of  the  nibbling  of  fish  upon  their  hams,  of  which  I  had  been 
insensible  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  the  anguish  and  fatigue  that  I  was 
suffering. 

I  threw  myself  upon  the  island  like  one  dead,  and  was  unconscious  of  my 
existence,  and  drowned  in  my  stupefaction ;  and  I  ceased  not  to  remain  in 
this  condition  until  the  next  day.  The  sun  having  then  risen  upon  me,  1 
awoke  upon  the  island,  and  found  that  my  feet  were  swollen,  and  that  I 
had  become  reduced  to  the  state  in  which  I  then  was.  A  while  I  dragged 
myself  along  in  a  sitting  posture,  and  then  I  crawled  upon  my  knees.  And 
there  were  in  the  island  fruits  in  abundance,  and  springs  of  sweet  water. 
I  therefore  ate  of  those  fruits  ;  and  I  ceased  not  to  continue  in  this  state 
for  many  days  and  nights.  My  spirit  had  then  revived,  my  soul  had  re- 
turned to  me,  and  my  power  of  motion  was  renewed  ;  and  I  began  to  med- 
itate, and  to  walk  along  the  shore  of  the  island,  amusing  myself  among  the 
trees  with  the  sight  of  the  things  that  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  had 
created ;  and  I  had  made  for  myself  a  staff  from  those  trees,  to  lean  upon 
it.  Thus  1  remained  until  I  walked,  one  day,  upon  the  shore  of  the  island, 
and  there  appeared  unto  me  an  indistinct  object  in  the  distance.  I  imag- 
ined that  it  was  a  wild  beast,  or  one  of  the  beasts  of  the  sea;  and  I  walk*  <l 
toward  it,  ceasing  not  to  gaze  at  it;  and  lo,  it  was  a  mare,  of  superb  ap- 
pearance, picketed  in  a  part  of  the  island  by  the  sea-shore.  I  approached 
her  ;  but  she  cried  out  against  me  with  a  great  cry,  and  I  trembled  with  fear 
of  her,  and  was  about  to  return,  when  behold,  a  man  came  forth  from  be- 
neath the  earth,  and  he  called  to  me  and  pursued  me,  saying  to  me,  \\  ho 
art  thou,  and  whence  hast  thou  come,  and  what  is  the  cause  of  thine  arrival 
in  this  place  ?  So  I  answered  him,  O  my  master,  know  that  I  am  a  stran- 
ger, and  1  was  in  a  ship,  and  was  submerged  in  the  sea  with  certain  others 
of  the  passengers  ;  but  God  supplied  me  with  a  wooden  bowl,  and  I  got  into 

115 


FiKST   VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

it,  and  it  bore  me  along  until  the  waves  cast  me  upon  this  island.  And 
when  he  heard  my  words,  he  laid  hold  of  my  hand,  and  said  to  me,  Come 
with  me.  I  therefore  went  with  him,  and  he  descended  with  me  into  a 
grotto  beneath  the  earth,  and  conducted  me  into  a  large  subterranean  cham- 
ber, and,  having  seated  me  at  the  upper  end  of  that  chamber,  brought  me 
some  food.  I  was  hungry  ;  so  I  ate  until  I  was  satiated  and  contented,  and 
my  soul  became  at  ease.  Then  he  asked  me  respecting  my  case,  and  what 
had  happened  to  me;  wherefore  I  acquainted  him  with  my  whole  affair 
from  beginning  to  end;  and  he  wondered  at  my  story. 

And  when  I  had  finished  my  tale,  I  said,  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah,  O  my 
master,  that  thou  be  not  displeased  with  me  :  I  have  acquainted  thee  with 
the  truth  of  my  case  and  of  what  hath  happened  to  me,  and  I  desire  of 
thee  that  thou  inform  me  who  thou  art,  and  what  is  the  cause  of  thy  dwell- 
ing in  this  chamber  that  is  beneath  the  earth,  and  what  is  the  reason  of  thy 
picketing  this  mare  by  the  sea-side.  So  he  replied,  Know  that  we  are  a 
party  dispersed  in  this  island,  upon  its  shores,  and  we  are  the  grooms  of  the 
King  Mihrage,*  having  under  our  care  all  his  horses;  and  every  month, 
when  moonlight  commenceth,  we  bring  the  swift  mares,  and  picket  them 
in  this  island,  every  mare  that  has  not  foaled,  and  conceal  ourselves  in  this 
chamber  beneath  the  earth,  that  they  may  attract  the  sea-horses.  This  is 
the  time  of  the  coming  forth  of  the  sea-horse;  and  afterward,  if  it  be  the 
will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!),  I  will  take  thee  with  me  to  the  King 
Mihrage,  and  divert  thee  with  the  sight  of  our  country.  Know,  moreover, 
that  if  thou  hadst  not  met  with  us,  thou  hadst  not  seen  any  one  in  this  place, 
and  woiddst  have  died  in  misery,  none  knowing  of  thee.  But  I  will  be  the 
means  of  the  preservation  of  thy  life,  and  of  thy  return  to  thy  country.  I 
therefore  prayed  for  him,  and  thanked  him  for  his  kindness  and  beneficence  ; 
and  while  we  were  thus  talking,  the  horse  came  forth  from  the  sea,  as  he 
had  said.  And  shortly  after,  his  companions  came,  each  leading  a  mare ; 
and,  seeing  me  with  him,  they  inquired  of  me  my  story,  and  I  told  them 
what  I  had  related  to  him.  They  then  drew  near  to  me,  and  spread  the 
table,  and  ate,  and  invited  me  :  so  I  ate  with  them  ;  after  which  they 
arose  and  mounted  the  horses,  taking  me  with  them,  having  mounted  me 
on  a  mare. 

We  commenced  our  journey,  and  proceeded  without  ceasing  until  Ave 
arrived  at  the  city  of  the  King  Mihrage,  and  they  went  in  to  him  and  ac- 
quainted him  with  my  story.  He  therefore  desired  my  presence,  and  they 
took  me  in  to  him,  and  stationed  me  before  him ;  whereupon  I  saluted  him, 
and  he  returned  my  salutation,  and  welcomed  me,  greeting  me  in  an  hon- 
orable manner,  and  inquired  of  me  respecting  my  case.  So  I  informed  him 
of  all  that  had  happened  to  me,  and  of  all  that  I  had  seen,  from  beginning 
to  end ;  and  he  wondered  at  that  which  had  befallen  me  and  happened 
to  me,  and  said  to  me,  O  my  son,  by  Allah  thou  hast  experienced  an  ex- 
traordinary preservation,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  predestined  length  of 
thy  life,  thou  hadst  not  escaped  from  these  difficulties ;  but  praise  be  to 
God  for  thy  safety  !  Then  he  treated  me  with  beneficence  and  honor, 
caused  me  to  draw  near  to  him,  and  began  to  cheer  me  with  conversation 
and  courtesy  ;  and  he  made  me  his  superintendent  of  the  sea-port,  and  reg- 

"  This  word  is  obviously  the  Sanscrit  maharaja,  ''Great  King,"  pronounced  niahraj 
in  the  colloquial  dialects  of  India. 
116 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


Sea-horse. 


istrar  of  every  vessel  that  came  to  the  coast.  I  stood  in  his  presence  to 
transact  his  affairs,  and  he  favored  me  and  benefited  me  in  every  respect ; 
he  invested  me  with  a  handsome  and  costly  dress,  and  I  became  a  person 
high  in  credit  with  him  in  intercessions,  and  in  accomplishing  the  affairs  of 
the  people.  I  ceased  not  to  remain  in  his  service  for  a  long  time  ;  and 
whenever  I  went  to  the  shore  of  the  sea,  I  used  to  inquire  of  the  merchants, 
and  travelers,  and  sailors  respecting  the  direction  of  the  city  of  Bagdad,  that 
perchance  some  one  might  inform  me  of  it,  and  I  might  go  with  him  thither 
and  return  to  my  country ;  but  none  knew  it,  or  knew  any  one  who  went 
to  it.  At  this  I  was  perplexed,  and  I  was  weaiy  of  the  length  of  my  ab- 
sence from  home  ;  and  in  this  state  I  continued  for  a  length  of  time,  until 
I  went  in  one  day  to  the  King  Mihrage,  and  found  with  him  a  party  of  In- 
dians. I  saluted  them,  and  they  returned  my  salutation,  and  welcomed 
me,  and  asked  me  respecting  my  country ;  after  which  I  questioned  them 
as  to  their  country,  and  they  told  mo  that  they  consisted  of  various  races. 
Among  them  are  the  Shakiriah,*  who  are  the  most  noble  of  their  races, 


The  Kshatrias,  or  warrior  caste  of  Indians. 


117 


FIRST   VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

who  oppress  no  one,  nor  offer  violence  to  any.  And  among  them  are  a 
class  called  the  Brahinans,  a  people  who  never  drink  wine;  but  they  are 
persons  of  pleasure,  and  joy,  and  sport,  and  merriment,  and  possessed  of 
camels,  and  horses,  and  cattle.  They  informed  me  also  that  the  Indians 
are  divided  into  seventy-two  classes;  and  I  wondered  at  this  extremely. 
And  I  saw,  in  the  dominions  of  the  King  Mihrage,  an  island,  among  others, 
which  is  called  Kasil,  in  which  is  heard  the  beating  of  tambourines  and 
drums  throughout  the  night,  and  the  islanders  and  travelers  informed  us 
that  Dagial*  is  in  it.  I  saw,  too,  in  the  sea  in  which  is  that  island,  a  fish 
two  hundred  cubits  long,  and  the  fishermen  fear  it ;  wherefore  they  knock 
some  pieces  of  wood,  and  it  fleeth  from  them  :  and  I  saw  a  fish  whose  face 
was  like  that  of  the  owl.  I  likewise  saw  during  that  voyage  many  wonder- 
ful and  strange  things,  such  that  if  I  related  them  to  you,  the  description 
would  be  too  long. 

I  continued  to  amuse  myself  with  the  sight  of  those  islands  and  the  things 
that  they  contained,  until  I  stood  one  day  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea,  with  a 
staff  in  my  hand,  as  was  my  custom,  and  lo,  a  great  vessel  approached, 
wherein  were  many  merchants  ;  and  when  it  arrived  at  the  harbor  of  the 
city,  and  its  place  of  anchoring,  the  master  furled  its  sails,  brought  it  to  an 
anchor  by  the  shore,  and  put  forth  the  landing-plank;  and  the  sailors  brought 
out  every  thing  that  was  in  that  vessel  to  the  shore.  They  were  slow  in 
taking  forth  the  goods,  while  I  stood  writing  their  account,  and  I  said  to  the 
master  of  the  ship,  Doth  aught  remain  in  thy  vessel  ?  He  answered,  Yes, 
O  my  master  ;  I  have  some  goods  in  the  hold  of  the  ship  ;  but  their  owner 
was  drowned  in  the  sea  at  one  of  the  islands  during  our  voyage  hither,  and 
his  goods  are  in  our  charge  ;  so  we  desire  to  sell  them,  and  to  take  a  note 
of  their  price,  in  order  to  convey  it.  to  his  family  in  the  city  of  Bagdad,  the 
Abode  of  Peace.  I  therefore  said  to  the  master,  What  was  the  name  of 
that  man,  the  owner  of  the  goods  ?  He  answered,  His  name  was  Sindbad 
the  Sailor,  and  he  was  drowned  on  his  voyage  with  us  in  the  sea.  And 
when  I  heard  his  words,  I  looked  at  him  with  a  scrutinizing  eye,  and  rec- 
ognized him  ;  and  I  cried  out  at  him  with  a  great  cry,  and  said,  O  master, 
know  that  I  am  the  owner  of  the  goods  which  thou  hast  mentioned,  and  I 
am  Sindbad  the  Sailor,  who  descended  upon  the  island  from  the  ship,  with 
the  other  merchants  who  descended  ;  and  when  the  fish  that  we  were  upon 
moved,  and  thou  calledst  out  to  us,  some  got  up  into  the  vessel,  and  the  rest 
sank,  and  I  was  among  those  who  sank.  But  God  (whose  name  be  exalt- 
ed !)  preserved  me,  and  saved  me  from  drowning  by  means  of  a  large  wood- 
en bowl,  of  those  in  which  the  passengers  were  washing,  and  I  got  into  it, 
and  began  to  beat  the  water  with  my  feet,  and  the  wind  and  the  waves  aided 
me  until  I  arrived  at  this  island,  when  I  landed  on  it,  and  God  (whose  name 
be  exalted  !)  assisted  me,  and  I  met  the  grooms  of  the  King  Mihrage,  who 
took  me  with  them  and  brought  me  to  this  city.  They  then  led  me  in  to 
the  King  Mihrage,  and  I  acquainted  him  with  my  story;  whereupon  he 
bestowed  benefits  upon  me,  and  appointed  me  clerk  of  the  harbor  of  this 
city,  and  I  obtained  profit  in  his  service,  and  favor  with  him.  Therefore 
these  goods  that  thou  hast  are  my  goods  and  my  portion. 

But  the  master  said,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the 
High,  the  Great !     There  is  no  longer  faith  nor  conscience  in  any  one  ! 

*  A  fabulous  beinar,  who  is  to  come  iu  the  last  davs  and  lav  waste  the  earth. 
11R 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


Sindbad  the  Sailor  recognized  by  the  captain. 


Wherefore,  O  master,  said  I,  when  thou  hast  heard  me  tell  thee  my  story  ? 
He  answered,  Because  thou  heard  est  me  say  that  I  had  goods  whoso 
owner  was  drowned  :  therefore  thou  desirest  to  take  them  without  price  ; 
and  this  is  unlawful  to  thee ;  for  we  saw  him  when  he  sank,  and  there 
were  with  him  many  of  the  passengers,  not  one  of  whom  escaped.  How, 
then,  dost  thou  pretend  that  thou  art  the  owner  of  the  goods?  So  I  said 
to  him,  O  master,  hear  my  story,  and  understand  my  words,  and  my  ve- 
racity will  become  manifest  to  thee  ;  for  falsehood  is  a  characteristic  of  the 
hypocrites.  Then  I  related  to  him  all  that  1  had  done  from  the  time  that 
I  went  forth  with  him  from  the  city  of  Bagdad  until  we  arrived  at  that  isl- 
and upon  which  we  were  submerged  in  the  sea,  and  I  mentioned  to  him 
some  circumstances  that  had  occurred  between  me  and  him.  Upon  this, 
therefore,  the  master  and  the  merchants  were  convinced  of  my  veracity, 
and  recognized  me  ;  and  they  congratulated  me  on  my  safety,  all  of  them 
saying,  By  Allah,  we  believed  not  that  thou  hadst  escaped  drowning;  but 
God  hath  granted  thee  a  new  life.  Then  they  gave  me  the  goods,  and  I 
found  my  name  written  upon  them,  and  naught  of  them  was  missing.  So 
I  opened  them,  and  took  forth  from  them  something  precious  and  costly ; 
the  sailors  of  the  ship  carried  it  with  me,  and  I  went  up  with  it  to  the  king 
to  offer  it  as  a  present,  and  informed  him  that  this  ship  was  the  one  in 
which  I  was  a  passenger.  I  told  him  also  that  my  goods  had  arrived  all 
entire,  and  that  this  present  was  a  part  of  them.  And  the  king  wondered 
at  this  affair  extremely  ;  my  veracity  in  all  that  I  had  said  became  manifest 
to  him,  and  he  loved  me  greatly,  and  treated  me  with  exceeding  honor,  giv- 
ing mo  a  large  present  in  return  for  mine. 

Then  I  sold  my  bales,  as  well  as  the  other  goods  that  1  had,  and  gained 
upon  them  abundantly  ;  and  I  purchased  other  goods,  and  merchandise, 
and  commodities  of  that  city.     And  when  the  merchants  of  the  ship  de- 

119 


FIRST  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

sired  to  set  forth  on  their  voyage,  I  stowed  all  that  I  had  in  the  vessel,  and, 
going  in  to  the  king,  thanked  him  for  his  beneficence  and  kindness ;  after 
which  I  begged  him  to  grant  me  permission  to  depart  on  my  voyage  to  my 
countiy  and  my  family.  So  he  bade  me  farewell,  and  gave  me  an  abund- 
ance of  things,  at  my  departure,  of  the  commodities  of  that  city;  and  when 
I  had  taken  leave  of  him  I  embarked  in  the  ship,  and  we  set  sail  by  the 
permission  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  Fortune  served  us,  and  des- 
tiny aided  us,  and  we  ceased  not  to  prosecute  our  voyage  night  and  day 
until  we  arrived  in  safety  at  the  city  of  Balsora.  There  we  landed,  and 
remained  a  short  time ;  and  I  rejoiced  at  my  safety  and  my  return  to  my 
country  :  and  after  that  1  repaired  to  the  city  of  Bagdad,  the  Abode  of 
Peace,  with  abundance  of  bales,  and  goods,  and  merchandise  of  great  value. 
Then  I  went  to  my  quarter  and  entered  my  house,  and  all  my  family  and 
companions  came  to  me.  I  procured  for  myself  servants  and  other  de- 
pendents, and  mamlouks,  and  concubines,  and  male  black  slaves,  so  that  I 
had  a  large  establishment;  and  I  purchased  houses  and  other  immovable 
possessions,  more  than  I  had  at  first.  I  enjoyed  the  society  of  my  com- 
panions and  friends,  exceeding  my  former  habits,  and  forgot  all  that  I  had 
suffered  from  fatigue,  and  absence  from  my  native  country,  and  difficulty, 
and  the  terrors  of  travel.  I  occupied  myself  with  delights  and  pleasures  ; 
and  delicious  meats  and  exquisite  drinks,  and  continued  in  this  state.  Such 
were  the  events  of  the  first  of  my  voyages ;  and  to-morrow,  if  it  be  the 
will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  I  will  relate  to  you  the  tale  of  the 
6econd  of  the  seven  voyages. 

Sindbad  the  Sailor  then  made  Sindbad  the  Porter  to  sup  with  him  ; 
after  which  he  gave  orders  to  present  him  with  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold, 
and  said  to  him,  Thou  hast  cheered  us  by  thy  company  this  day.  So  the 
porter  thanked  him,  and  took  from  him  what  he  had  given  him,  and  went 
his  way,  meditating  upon  the  events  that  befell  and  happened  to  mankind, 
and  wondering  extremely.  He  slept  that  night  in  his  abode  ;  and  when 
the  morning  came,  he  repaired  to  the  house  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor,  and 
went  in  to  him ;  and  he  welcomed  him,  and  treated  him  with  honor,  seat- 
ing him  by  him.  And  after  the  rest  of  his  companions  had  come,  the  food 
and  drink  were  set  before  them,  and  the  time  was  pleasant  to  them,  and 
they  were  merry.     Then  Sindbad  the  Sailor  began  his  narrative  thus  : 


120 


SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


■R 


THE  SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

Know,  O  my  brothers,  that  I  was  enjoying  a  most  comfortable  life,  and 
the  most  pure  happiness,  as  ye  were  told  yesterday,  until  it  occurred  to 
my  mind,  one  day,  to  travel  again  to  the  lands  of  other  people,  and  I  felt  a 
longing  for  the  occupation  of  traffic,  and  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  coun- 
tries and  islands  of  the  world,  and  gaining  my  subsistence.  I  resolved 
upon  that  affair,  and.  having  taken  forth  from  my  money  a  large  sum,  I 
purchased  with  it  goods  and  merchandise  suitable  for  travel,  and  packed 
them  up.  Then  I  went  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  found  a  handsome, 
new  vessel,  with  sails  of  comely  canvas,  and  it  had  a  numerous  crew,  and 
was  superfluously  equipped.  So  I  embarked  my  bales  in  it,  as  did  also  a 
party  of  merchants  besides,  and  we  set  sail  that  day.  The  voyage  was 
pleasant  to  us,  and  we  ceased  not  to  pass  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  island 
to  island  ;  and  at  every  place  where  we  cast  anchor  we  met  the  merchants 
and  the  grandees,  and  the  sellers  and  buyers,  and  we  sold  and  bought,  and 
Vol.  Tl       F  121 


SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

exchanged  goods.  Thus  we  continued  to  do  until  destiny  conveyed  us  to 
a  beautiful  island,  abounding  with  trees  bearing  ripe  fruits,  where  flowers 
diffused  their  fragrance,  with  birds  warbling,  and  pure  rivers;  but  there 
was  not  in  it  an  inhabitant,  nor  a  blower  of  a  fire.  The  master  anchored 
our  vessel  at  that  island,  and  the  merchants  with  the  other  passengers  land- 
ed there  to  amuse  themselves  with  the  sight  of  its  trees,  and  to  extol  the 
perfection  of  God,  the  One,  the  Omnipotent,  and  to  wonder  at  the  power 
of  the  Almighty  King.  I  also  landed  upon  the  island  with  the  rest,  aud  sat 
by  a  spring  of  pure  water  among  the  trees.  I  had  with  me  some  food,  aud 
I  sat  in  that  place  eating  what  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  had  allotted 
me.  The  zephyr  was  sweet  to  us  in  that  place,  and  the  time  was  pleasant 
to  me ;  so  slumber  overcame  me,  and  I  reposed  there,  and  became  im- 
mersed in  sleep,  enjoying  that  sweet  zephyr  and  the  fragrant  gales.  I 
then  arose,  and  found  not  in  the  place  a  human  being  nor  a  Genie.  The 
vessel  had  gone  with  the  passengers,  and  not  one  of  them  remembered 
me,  neither  any  of  the  merchants  nor  any  of  the  sailors ;  so  they  left  me 
in  the  island. 

I  looked  about  it  to  the  right  and  left,  and  found  not  in  it  any  one  save 
myself.  I  was  therefore  affected  with  violent  vexation,  not  to  be  exceed- 
ed, and  my  gall-bladder  almost  burst  by  reason  of  the  severity  of  my  grief, 
and  mourning,  and  fatigue.  I  had  not  with  me  aught  of  worldly  goods, 
neither  food  nor  drink,  and  I  had  become  desolate,  weary  in  my  soul,  and 
despairing  of  life  :  and  I  said,  Not  every  time  doth  the  jar  escape  unbroken  ; 
and  if  I  escaped  the  first  time,  and  found  him  who  took  me  with  him  from 
the  shore  of  the  island  to  the  inhabited  part,  this  time  far,  far  from  me  is 
the  prospect  of  my  finding  him  who  will  couvey  me  to  inhabited  lands ! 
Then  I  began  to  weep  aud  wail  for  myself  until  vexation  overpowered  me  ; 
and  I  blamed  myself  for  that  which  I  had  done,  and  for  my  having  under- 
taken this  voyage  and  fatigue  after  I  had  been  reposing  at  ease  in  my  abode 
and  my  country,  in  ample  happiness,  and  enjoying  good  food,  and  good 
drink,  and  good  apparel,  and  had  not  been  in  want  of  any  thing,  either  of 
money,  or  goods,  or  merchandise.  I  repented  of  my  having  gone  forth 
from  the  city  of  Bagdad,  and  set  out  on  a  voyage  over  the  sea,  after  the  fa- 
tigue that  I  had  suffered  during  my  first  voyage,  and  I  felt  at  the  point  of 
destruction,  and  said,  Verily  to  God  we  belong,  and  verily  unto  Him  we  re- 
turn !  And  I  was  in  the  predicament  of  the  mad.  After  that  I  arose  and 
stood  up,  and  walked  about  the  island  to  the  right  and  left,  unable  to  sit  in 
one  place.  Then  I  climbed  up  a  lofty  tree,  and  began  to  look  from  it  to 
the  right  and  left ;  but  saw  naught  save  sky  and  water,  and  trees  and  birds, 
and  islands  and  sands.  Looking,  however,  with  a  scrutinizing  eye.  there 
appeared  to  me  on  the  island  a  white  object,  indistinctly  seen  in  the  dis- 
tance, of  enormous  size :  so  I  descended  from  the  tree  and  went  toward 
it,  and  proceeded  in  that  direction  without  stopping  until  I  arrived  at  it; 
and  lo,  it  was  a  large  white  dome,  of  great  height  and  large  circumference. 
I  drew  near  to  it,  and  walked  round  it ;  but  found  no  door  to  it ;  and  I 
found  that  I  had  not  strength  nor  activity  to  climb  it,  on  account  of  its  ex- 
ceeding smoothness.  I  made  a  mark  at  the  place  where  I  stood,  and  went 
round  the  dome  measuring  its  circumference  ;  and  lo,  it  was  fifty  full 
paces  ;  and  I  meditated  upon  some  means  of  gaining  an  entrance  into  it. 

The  close  of  the  day  and  the  setting  of  the  sun  had  now  drawn  near; 
and,  behold,  the  sun  was  hidden,  and  the  sky  became  dark,  and  the  sun 
1  22 


SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


Roc's  egg. 

was  veiled  from  me.  I  therefore  imagined  that  a  cloud  had  come  over  il  ; 
hut  this  was  in  the  season  of  summer :  so  I  wondered  ;  and  I  raised  my 
head,  and,  contemplating  that  object  attentively,  I  saw  that  it  was  a  bird 
of  enormous' size,  bulky  body,  and  wide  wings,  flying  in  the  air;  and  this 
it  was  that  concealed  the  body  of  the  sun,  and  veiled  it  from  view  upon  the 


The  roc. 


1 23 


SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  S1NDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

island.  At  this  my  wonder  increased,  and  I  remembered  a  story  which 
travelers  and  voyagers  had  told  me  long  before,  that  there  is,  in  certain  of 
the  islands,  a  bird  of  enormous  size,  called  the  roc,  that  feedeth  its  young 
ones  with  elephants.  I  was  convinced,  therefore,  that  the  dome  which  I 
had  seen  was  one  of  the  eggs  of  the  roc.  I  wondered  at  the  works  of  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted!);  and  while  I  was  in  this  state,  lo,  that  bird 
alighted  upon  the  dome,  and  brooded  over  it  with  its  wings,  stretching  out 
its  legs  behind  upon  the  ground  ;  and  it  slept  over  it.  Extolled  be  the  per- 
fection of  Him  who  sleepeth  not !  Thereupon  I  arose  and  unwound  my 
Durban  from  my  head,  and  folded  it  and  twisted  it  so  that  it  became  like  a 
cope ;  and  I  girded  myself  with  it,  binding  it  tightly  round  my  waist,  and 
tied  myself  by  it  to  one  of  the  feet  of  that  bird,  and  made  the  knot  fast, 
saying  within  myself,  Perhaps  this  bird  will  convey  me  to  a  land  of  cities 
find  inhabitants,  and  that  will  be  better  than  my  remaining  in  this  island. 
I  passed  the  night  sleepless,  fearing  that,  if  I  slept,  the  bird  would  fly  away 
,vith  me  when  I  was  not  aware ;  and  when  the  dawn  came,  and  morn  ap- 
peared, the  bird  rose  from  its  egg,  and  uttered  a  great  cry,  and  drew  me 
jp  into  the  sky.  It  ascended  and  soared  up  so  high  that  1  imagined  it  had 
eached  the  highest  region  of  the  sky  ;  and  after  that  it  descended  with  me 
gradually  until  it  alighted  with  me  upon  the  earth,  and  rested  upon  a  lofty 
spot.  So  when  I  reached  the  earth  I  hastily  untied  the  bond  from  its  foot, 
earing  it,  though  it  knew  not  of  me  nor  was  sensible  of  me  ;  and  after  I 
aad  loosed  my  turban  from  it,  and  disengaged  it  from  its  foot,  shaking  as  I 
did  so,  I  walked  away.  Then  it  took  something  from  the  face  of  the  earth 
>n  its  talons,  and  soared  to  the  upper  region  of  the  sky  ;  and  I  looked  atten- 
tively at  that  thing,  and  lo,  it  was  a  serpent  of  enormous  size,  of  great 
body,  which  it  had  taken  and  carried  oft'  toward  the  sea ;  and  I  wondered 
at  that  event. 

After  this  I  walked  about  that  place,  and  found  myself  upon  an  emi- 
nence, beneath  which  was  a  large,  wide,  deep  valley  ;  and  by  its  side  a 
great  mountain,  very  high  ;  no  one  could  see  its  summit  by  reason  of  its 
excessive  height,  and  no  one  had  power  to  ascend  it.  I  therefore  blamed 
myself  for  that  which  I  had  done,  and  said,  Would  that  I  had  remained  in 
i he  island;  since  it  is  better  than  this  desert  place;  for  in  the  island  are 
;'ound,  among  various  fruits,  what  I  might  have  eaten,  and  I  might  have 
drank  of  its  rivers  ;  but  in  this  place  are  neither  trees,  nor  fruits,  nor  riv- 
ers ;  and  there  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great ! 
Verily,  every  time  that  I  escape  from  a  calamity  I  fall  into  another  that  is 
greater  and  more  severe  !  Then  I  arose,  and  emboldened  myself,  and 
•valked  in  that  valley  ;  and  I  beheld  its  ground  to  be  composed  of  diamonds, 
with  which  they  pei-forate  minerals  and  jewels,  and  with  which  also  they 
perforate  porcelain  and  the  onyx;  and  it  is  a  stone  so  hard  that  neither 
.ron  nor  rock  have  any  effect  upon  it,  nor  can  any  one  cut  oft  aught  from  it, 
or  break  it,  unless  by  means  of  the  lead-stone.  All  that  valley  was  like- 
wise occupied  by  serpents  and  venomous  snakes,  every  one  of  them  like  a 
lalm  tree  ;  and  by  reason  of  its  enormous  size,  if  an  elephant  came  to  it,  it 
A'ould  swallow  it.  Those  serpents  appeared  in  the  night,  and  hid  them- 
selves in  the  day,  fearing  lest  the  roc  and  the  vulture  should  carry  them 
Dft",  and  after  that  tear  them  in  pieces ;  and  the  cause  of  that  I  know  not. 
I  remained  in  that  valley,  repenting  of  what  I  had  done,  and  said  within 
myself,  By  Allah,  I  have  hastened  my  own  destruction  !  The  day  depart- 
124 


SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

4   8Sn». 


The  roc  carrying  off  the  serpent. 

ed  from  me,  and  1  began  to  walk  along  that  valley,  looking  for  a  place  it 
which  to  pass  the  night,  fearing  those  serpents,  and,  forgetting  my  food 
and  drink,  and  subsistence,  occupied  only  by  care  for  my  life.  And  then 
appeared  to  me  a  cave  near  by ;  so  I  walked  thither,  and  I  found  its  en 
trance  narrow.  I  therefore  entered  it,  and,  seeing  a  large  stone  by  it 
mouth,  I  pushed  it,  and  stopped  with  it  the  mouth  of  the  cave  while  I  wa 
within  it;  and  I  said  within  myself,  I  am  safe  now  that  I  have  entered  thi 
place  ;  and  when  daylight  shineth  upon  me,  I  will  go  forth,  and  see  wha 
destiny  will  do.  Then  I  looked  within  the  cave,  and  beheld  a  huge  sei 
pent  sleeping  at  the  upper  end  of  it  over  its  eggs.  At  this  my  flesh  quaked 
and  I  raised  my  head,  and  committed  my  case  to  fate  and  destiny  ;  and 
passed  all  the  night  sleepless,  until  the  dawn  arose  and  shone,  when  I  re 
moved  the  stone  with  which  I  had  closed  the  entrance  of  the  cave,  ann 
went  forth  from  it  like  one  intoxicated,  giddy  from  excessive  sleeplessness 
and  hunger,  and  fear. 

I  then  walked   along  the  valley  ;  and  while  I  was  thus  occupied,  lo,  ; 

125 


SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

great  slaughtered  animal  fell  before  me,  and  I  found  no  one.  So  I  wonder- 
ed thereat  extremely  ;  and  I  remembered  a  story  that  I  had  heard  long 
before  from  certain  of  the  merchants,  and  travelers,  and  persons  in  the 
habit  of  journeying  about,  that  in  the  mountains  of  the  diamonds  are  ex- 
perienced great  terrors,  and  that  no  one  can  gain  access  to  the  diamonds, 
hut  that  the  merchants  who  import  them  know  a  stratagem  by  means  of 
which  to  obtain  them ;  that  they  take  a  sheep,  and  slaughter  it,  and  skin 
it,  and  cut  up  its  flesh,  which  they  throw  down  from  the  mountain  to  the 
bottom  of  the  valley  :  so  descending  fresh  and  moist,  some  of  these  stones 
stick  to  it.  Then  the  merchants  leave  it  until  mid-day,  and  birds  of  the 
large  kind  of  vulture  and  the  aquiline  vulture  descend  to  that  meat,  and, 
taking  it  in  their  talons,  fly  up  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  :  whereupon  the 
merchants  come  to  them,  and  cry  out  at  them,  and  they  fly  away  from  the 
meat.  The  merchants  then  advance  to  that  meat  and  take  from  it  the 
stones  sticking  to  it ;  after  which  they  leave  the  meat  for  the  birds  and  the 
wild  beasts,  and  carry  the  stones  to  their  countries.  And  no  one  can  pro- 
cure the  diamonds  but  by  means  of  this  stratagem.  Therefore,  when  I  be- 
held that  slaughtered  animal,  and  remembered  this  story,  I  arose  and  went 
to  the  slaughtered  beast.  I  then  selected  a  great  number  of  these  stones, 
and  put  them  into  my  pocket,  and  within  my  clothes  ;  and  I  proceeded  to 
select,  and  to  put  into  my  pockets,  and  my  girdle,  and  my  turban,  and 
within  my  clothes.  And  while  I  was  doing  thus,  lo,  another  great  slaugh- 
tered animal.  So  I  bound  myself  to  it  with  my  turban,  and,  laying  my- 
self down  on  my  back,  placed  it  upon  my  bosom,  and  grasped  it  firmly. 
Thus  it  was  raised  high  above  the  ground  ;  and  behold,  a  vulture  descend- 
ed upon  it,  seized  it  with  its  talons,  and  flew  up  with  it  into  the  air,  with 
me  attached  to  it ;  and  it  ceased  not  to  soar  up  until  it  had  ascended  with 
it  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  when  it  alighted  with  it,  and  was  about 
to  tear  oft'  some  of  it.  And  thereupon  a  great  and  loud  cry  arose  from  be- 
hind that  vulture,  and  something  made  a  clattering  with  a  piece  of  wood 
upon  the  mountain  ;  whereat  the  vulture  flew  away  in  fear,  and  soared  into 
the  sky. 

I  therefore  disengaged  myself  from  the  slaughtered  animal,  with  the 
blood  of  which  my  clothes  were  polluted ;  and  I  stood  by  its  side.  And  lo, 
the  merchant  who  had  cried  out  at  the  vulture  advanced  to  the  slaughtered 
animal,  and  saw  me  standing  there.  He  spoke  to  me  not;  for  he  was 
frightened  at  me,  and  terrified ;  but  he  came  to  the  slaughtered  beast,  and 
turned  it  over  ;  and,  not  finding  any  thing  upon  it,  he  uttered  a  loud  cry, 
and  said,  O  my  disappointment !  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in 
God  !  We  seek  refuge  with  God  from  Satan  the  accursed!  He  repent- 
ed, and  struck  hand  upon  hand,  and  said,  O  my  grief!  What  is  this  affair? 
So  I  advanced  to  him,  and  he  said  to  me,  Who  art  thou,  and  what  is  the 
reason  of  thy  coming  to  this  place  ?  I  answered  him.  Fear  not,  nor  be 
alarmed  ;  for  I  am  a  human  being,  of  the  best  of  mankind  ;  and  I  was  a 
merchant,  and  my  tale  is  prodigious,  and  my  story  extraordinary,  and  the 
cause  of  my  coming  to  this  mountain  and  this  valley  is  wondrous  to  relate. 
Fear  not;  for  thou  shalt  receive  of  me  what  will  rejoice  thee  :  I  have  with 
me  abundance  of  diamonds,  of  which  I  will  give  thee  as  much  as  will  suf- 
fice thee,  and  every  piece  that  J  have  is  better  than  all  that  would  come  to 
thee  by  other  means;  therefore,  be  not  timorous  nor  afraid.  And  upon 
I  his  the  man  thanked  me,  and  prayed  for  me,  and  conversed  with  me:  and 
126 


SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


lo,  the  other  merchants  heard  me  talking  with  their  companion ;  so  they 
came  to  me.  Ecich  merchant  had  thrown  down  a  slaughtered  animal ;  and 
when  they  came  to  us,  they  saluted  me,  and  congratulated  me  on  my  safety, 
and  took  me  with  them ;  and  I  acquainted  them  with  my  whole  story,  relating 
to  them  what  I  had  suffered  on  my  voyage,  and  telling  them  the  cause  of 
my  arrival  in  this  valley.  Then  I  gave  to  the  owner  of  the  slaughtered 
animal  to  which  I  had  attached  myself  an  abundance  of  what  I  had  brought 
with  me  ;  and  he  was  delighted  with  me,  and  prayed  for  me,  and  thanked 
me  for  that ;  and  the  other  merchants  said  to  me,  By  Allah,  a  new  life  hath 
been  decreed  thee ;  for  no  one  ever  arrived  at  this  place  before  thee  and 
escaped  from  it;  but  praise  be  to  God  for  thy  safety!  They  passed  the 
next  night  in  a  pleasant  and  safe  place,  and  I  passed  the  night  with  them, 
full  of  the  utmost  joy  at  my  safety  and  my  escape  from  the  valley  of  ser- 
pents, and  my  arrival  in  an  inhabited  country. 

And  when  day  came,  we  arose  and  journeyed  over  that  great  mountain, 
beholding  in  that  valley  numerous  serpents ;  and  we  continued  to  advance 
until  we  arrived  at  a  garden  in  a  great  and  beautiful  island,  wherein  were 
camphor-trees,  under  each  of  which  trees  a  hundred  men  might  shade 
themselves.  When  any  one  desireth  to  obtain  some  camphor  from  oue 
of  these  trees,  he  maketh  a  perforation  in  the  upper  part  of  it  with  some- 
thing long,  and  catcheth  what  descendeth  from  it.  The  liquid  camphor 
floweth  from  it,  and  concreteth  like  gum.  It  is  the  juice  of  that,  tree  ;  and, 
after  this  operation,  the  tree  drieth,  and  becometh  fire-wood.  In  that 
island,  too,  is  a  kind  of  wild  beast  called  the  rhinoceros,  which  pastureth 
there  like  oxen  and  buffaloes  in  our  country ;  but  the  bulk  of  that  wild 
beast  is  greater  than  the  bulk  of  the  camel,  and  it  eateth  the  tender  leaves 
of  trees.  It  is  a  huge  beast,  with  a  single  horn,  thick,  in  the  middle  of  its 
head,  a  cubit  in  length,  wherein  is  the  figure 
of  a  man.  And  in  that  island  are  some  ani- 
mals of  the  ox  kind.  Moreover,  the  sailors, 
and  travelers,  and  persons  in  the  habit  of 
journeying  about  in  the  mountains  and  the 
lands  have  told  us  that  this  wild  beast,  which 


Rhinoceros  nnd  elephant,  iVe. 


127 


SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

is  named  the  rhinoceros,  lifteth  the  great  elephant  upon  its  horn,  and  pas- 
tureth  with  it  upon  the  island  and  the  shores,  without  being  sensible  of  it ; 
and  the  elephant  dieth  upon  its  horn ;  and  its  fat,  melting  by  the  heat  of 
the  sun,  and  flowing  upon  its  head,  entereth  its  eyes,  so  that  it  becometh 
blind.  Then  it  lieth  down  upon  the  shore,  and  the  roc  cometh  to  it,  and 
carrieth  it  off  [with  the  elephant]  in  its  talons  to  its  young  ones,  and  feed- 
eth  them  with  it  and  with  that  which  is  upon  its  horn  [namely,  the  ele- 
phant]. I  saw  also  in  that  island  abundance  of  the  buffalo  kind,  the  like 
of  which  existeth  not  among  us. 

The  valley  before  mentioned  containeth  a  great  quantity  of  diamonds 
such  as  I  carried  off  and  hid  in  my  pockets.  For  these  the  people  gave  me 
in  exchange  goods  and  commodities  belonging  to  them  ;  and  they  conveyed 
them  for  me,  giving  me  likewise  pieces  of  silver  and  pieces  of  gold ;  and  1 
ceased  not  to  proceed  with  them,  amusing  myself  with  the  sight  of  different 
countries,  and  of  what  God  hath  created,  from  valley  to  valley,  and  from 
city  to  city,  we,  in  our  way,  selling  and  buying,  until  we  arrived  at  the  city 
of  BaJsora.     We  remained  there  a  few  days,  and  then  I  came  to  the  city 


Balsora. 


of  Bagdad,  the  Abode  of  Peace,  and  came  to  my  quarter,  and  entered  my 
house,  bringing  with  me  a  great  quantity  of  diamonds,  and  money,  and  com- 
modities, and  goods  in  abundance.  I  met  my  family  and  relations,  be- 
stowed alms  and  gifts,  made  presents  to  all  my  family  and  companions,  and 
began  to  eat  well,  and  drink  well,  and  wear  handsome  apparel.  I  asso- 
ciated with  friends  and  companions,  forgot  all  that  I  had  suffered,  and 
ceased  not  to  enjoy  a  pleasant  life,  and  joyful  heart,  and  dilated  bosom,  with 
sport  and  merriment.  Every  one  who  heard  of  my  arrival  came  to  me, 
and  inquired  of  me  respecting  my  voyage,  and  the  states  of  the  different 
countries :  so  I  informed  him,  relating  to  him  what  I  had  experienced  and 
suffered  ;  and  he  wondered  at  the  severity  of  my  sufferings,  and  congratu- 
lated me  on  my  safety.  This  is  the  end  of  the  account  of  the  events  that 
befell  me  and  happened  to  me  during  the  second  voyage  ;  and  to-morrow, 
if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted !),  I  will  relate  to  you  the 
events  of  the  third  voyage. 
128 


SECOND  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

And  when  Sindbad  the  Sailor  had  finished  his  story  to  Sindbad  the  Porter, 
the  company  wondered  at  it.  They  supped  with  him  ;  and  he  gave  orders 
to  present  to  Sindbad  the  Porter  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold ;  and  the  latter 
took  them,  and  went  his  way,  wondering  at  the  things  that  Sindbad  the 
Sailor  had  suffered.  Ho  thanked  him,  and  prayed  lor  him  in  his  house  ; 
and  when  the  morning  came,  and  diffused  its  light  and  shone,  Sindbad  the 
Porter  arose,  performed  the  morning  prayers,  and  repaired  to  the  house  of 
Sindbad  the  Sailor,  as  he  had  commanded  him.  He  went  in  to  him  and 
wished  him  good-morning,  and  Sindbad  the  Sailor  welcomed  him;  and  he 
sat  with  him  until  the  rest  of  his  companions  and  party  had  come;  and 
after  they  had  eaten,  and  drank,  and  enjoyed  themselves,  and  were  merry 
and  happy,  Sindbad  the  Sailor  began  thus : 

f*  129 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


The  ship  attacked  by  apes. 


THE  THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

Know,  O  my  brothers  (and  hear  from  me  the  story  of  the  third  voyage  ; 
for  it  is  more  wonderful  than  the  preceding  stories  hitherto  related;  and  (iod 
is  all-knowing  with  respect  to  the  things  which  He  hideth,  and  omniscient), 
that,  in  the  times  past,  when- 1  returned  from  the  second  voyage,  and  was 
in  a  state  of  the  utmost  joy  and  happiness,  rejoicing  in  my  safety,  having 
gained  great  wealth,  as  I  related  to  you  yesterday,  God  having  compen- 
sated me  for  all  that  I  had  lost,  I  resided  in  the  city  of  Bagdad  for  a  length 
of  time  in  the  most  perfect  prosperity  and  delight,  and  joy  and  happiness. 
Then  my  soul  became  desirous  of  travel  and  diversion,  and  I  longed  for  com- 
merce, and  gain,  and  profits  ;  the  soul  being  prone  to  evil.  So  I  meditated, 
and  bought  an  abundance  of  goods  suited  for  a  sea-voyage,  and  packed  them 
1.30 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

up,  and  departed  with  them  from  the  city  of  Bagdad  to  the  city  of  Balsora. 
There,  coming  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  I  beheld  a  great  vessel,  in  which 
were  many  merchants  and  other  passengers,  people  of  worth,  and  comely 
and  good  persons,  people  of  religion,  and  kindness,  and  probity.  I  there- 
fore embarked  with  them  in  that  vessel,  and  we  departed  in  reliance  on  the 
blessing  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  his  aid  and  favor,  rejoicing 
in  expectation  of  good  fortune  and  safety.  We  ceased  not  to  proceed 
from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  island  to  island,  and  from  city  to  city  ;  at  every 
place  by  which  we  passed  diverting  ourselves,  and  selling  and  buying,  in 
the  utmost  joy  and  happiness.  Thus  we  did  until  we  were,  one  day,  pur- 
suing our  course  in  the  midst  of  the  roaring  sea,  agitated  with  waves,  when 
lo,  the  master,  standing  at  the  side  of  the  vessel,  looked  at  the  different 
quarters  of  the  sea,  and  then  slapped  his  face,  furled  the  sails  of  the  ship, 
cast  its  anchors,  plucked  his  beard,  rent  his  clothes,  and  uttered  a  great 
cry.  So  we  said  to  him,  O  master,  what  is  the  news?  And  he  answer- 
ed, Know,  O  passengers,  whom  may  God  preserve !  that  the  wind  hath  pre- 
vailed against  us,  and  driven  us  out  of  our  course  in  the  midst  of  the  sea, 
and  destiny  hath  cast  us,  through  our  evil  fortune,  toward  the  Mountain  of 
Apes.  No  one  hath  ever  arrived  at  this  place  and  escaped,  and  my  heart 
is  impressed  with  the  conviction  of  the  destruction  of  us  all.  And  the  words 
of  the  master  were  not  ended  before  the  apes  had  come  to  us  and  sur- 
rounded the  vessel  on  every  side,  numerous  as  locusts,  dispersed  about 
the  vessel  and  on  the  shore.  We  feared  that,  if  we  killed  one  of  them, 
or  struck  him,  or  drove  him  away,  they  would  kill  us,  on  account  of 
their  excessive  number;  for  numbers  prevail  against  courage;  and  we 
feared  them  lest  they  should  plunder  our  goods  and  our  commodities. 
They  are  the  most  hideous  of  beasts,  and  covered  with  hair  like  black  felt, 
their  aspect  striking  terror.  No  one  understandeth  their  language  or  their 
state  ;  they  shun  the  society  of  men,  have  yellow  eyes,  and  black  faces,  and 
are  of  small  size,  the  height  of  each  one  of  them  being  four  spans.  They 
climbed  up  the  cables,  and  severed  them  with  their  teeth,  and  they  severed 
all  the  ropes  of  the  vessel  in  every  part ;  so  the  vessel  inclined  with  the 
wind,  and  stopped  at  their  mountain,  and  on  their  coast.  Then,  having 
seized  all  the  merchants  and  the  other  passengers,  and  landed  them  upon 
the  island,  they  took  the  vessel  with  the  whole  of  its  contents,  and  went 
their  way  with  it. 

They  left  us  upon  the  island,  the  vessel  became  concealed  from  us,  and 
we  knew  not  whither  they  had  went  with  it.  And  while  we  were  upon 
that  island,  eating  of  its  fruits  and  its  herbs,  and  drinking  of  the  rivers  that 
were  there,  lo,  there  appeared  to  us  an  inhabited  house  in  the  midst  of  the 
island.  We  therefore  went  toward  it,  and  walked  to  it ;  and  behold,  it 
was  a  pavilion,  with  lofty  angles,  with  high  walls,  having  an  entrance  with 
folding-doors,  which  were  open ;  and  the  doors  were  of  ebony.  We  en- 
tered this  pavilion,  and  found  in  it  a  great,  open  space,  like  a  wide,  large 
court,  around  which  were  many  lofty  doors,  and  at  its  upper  end  was  a  high 
and  great  bench.  There  were  also  in  it  utensils  for  cooking,  hung  over 
the  fire-pots,  and  around  them  were  many  bones.  But  we  saw  not  there 
any  person  ;  and  we  wondered  at  that  extremely.  We  sat  in  the  open 
space  in  that  pavilion  a  little  while,  after  which  we  slept;  and  we  ceased 
not  to  sleep  from  near  the  mid-time  between  sunrise  and  noon  until  sunset. 
And  lo.  tin'  earth  trembled  beneath  us,  and  we  heard  a  confused  noise  from 

131 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

the  upper  air,  and  there  descended  upon  us,  from  the  summit  of  the  pa- 
vilion, a  person  of  enormous  size,  in  human  form,  and  he  was  of  black  com- 
plexion, of  lofty  stature,  like  a  great  palm-tree  :  he  had  two  eyes  like  two 
blazes  of  fire,  and  tusks  like  the  tusks  of  swine,  and  a  mouth  of  prodigious 
size,  like  the  mouth  of  a  well,  and  lips  like  the  lips  of  the  camel,  hanging 
down  upon  his  bosom,  and  he  had  ears  like  two  mortars,  hanging  down 
upon  his  shoulders,  and  the  nails  of  his  hands  were  like  the  claws  of  the 
lion.  So  when  we  beheld  him  thus,  we  became  unconscious  of  our  ex- 
istence, our  fear  was  vehement,  and  our  terror  was  violent,  and  through 
the  violence  of  our  fear,  and  dread,  and  terror  we  became  as  dead  men. 
And  after  he  had  descended  upon  the  ground,  he  sat  a  little  while  upon  the 
seat.  Then  he  arose  and  came  to  us,  and  seizing  me  by  my  hands  from 
among  my  companions  the  merchants,  lifted  me  up  from  the  ground  in  his 
hand,  and  felt  me  and  turned  me  over;  and  I  was  iu  his  hand  like  a  little 


The  giant  and  his  prisoners. 

mouthful.  He  continued  to  feel  me  as  the  butcher  feeleth  the  sheep  that 
he  is  about  to  slaughter ;  but  he  found  me  infirm  from  excessive  affliction, 
and  lean  from  excessive  fatigue  and  from  the  voyage  ;  having  no  flesh.  He 
therefore  let  me  go  from  his  hand,  and  took  another  from  among  my  com- 
132 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

panions ;  and  he  turned  him  over  as  he  had  turned  me  over,  and  felt  him 
as  he  had  felt  me,  and  let  him  go.  He  ceased  not  to  feel  us  and  turn  us 
over,  one  after  another,  until  he  came  to  the  master  of  our  ship,  who  was 
a  fat,  stout,  broad-shouldered  man ;  a  person  of  strength  and  vigor :  so  he 
pleased  him,  and  he  seized  him  as  the  butcher  seizeth  the  animal  that  he  is 
about  to  slaughter,  and,  having  thrown  him  on  the  ground,  put  his  foot  upon 
his  neck,  which  he  thus  broke.  Then  he  brought  a  long  spit,  and  thrust 
it  into  his  throat,  and  spitted  him  ;  after  which  he  lighted  a  fierce  fire,  and 
placed  over  it  that  spit  upon  which  the  master  was  spitted,  and  ceased  not 
to  turn  him  round  over  the  burning  coals  until  his  flesh  was  thoroughly 
roasted  ;  when  he  took  him  oft' from  the  fire,  put  him  before  him,  and  sep- 
arated his  joints  as  a  man  separates  the  joints  of  a  chicken,  and  proceeded 
to  tear  in  pieces  his  flesh  with  his  nails,  and  to  eat  of  it.  Thus  he  con- 
tinued to  do  until  he  had  eaten  his  flesh,  and  gnawed  his  bones,  and  there 
remained  of  him  nothing  but  some  bones,  which  he  threw  by  the  side  of 
the  pavilion.  He  then  sat  a  little,  and  threw  himself  down,  and  slept  upon 
that  bench,  making  a  noise  with  his  throat  like  that  which  is  made  by  a 
lamb  or  other  beast  when  slaughtered;  and  he  slept  uninterruptedly  until 
the  morning,  when  he  went  his  way. 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  we  were  sure  that  he  was  far  from  us,  we  conversed 
together,  and  wept  for  ourselves,  saying,  Would  that  we  had  been  drowned 
in  the  sea,  or  that  the  apes  had  eaten  us ;  for  it  were  better  than  the  roasting 
of  a  man  upon  burning  coals!  By  Allah,  this  death  is  a  vile  one!  But 
what  God  willeth  cometh  to  pass,  and  there  is  no  strength  nor  power  but 
in  God,  the  High,  the  Great !  We  die  in  sorrow,  and  no  one  knoweth  of 
us ;  and  there  is  no  escape  for  us  from  this  place  !  We  then  arose  and 
went  forth  upon  the  island,  to  see  for  us  a  place  in  which  to  hide  ourselves, 
or  to  flee  ;  and  it  had  become  a  light  matter  to  us  to  die,  rather  than  our 
flesh  should  be  roasted  with  fire.  But  we  found  not  for  us  a  place  in  which 
to  hide  ourselves ;  and  the  evening  overtook  us.  So  we  returned  to  the 
pavilion,  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  our  fear,  and  sat  there  a  little  while  ; 
and  lo,  the  earth  trembled  beneath  us,  and  that  black  approached  us,  and, 
coming  among  us,  began  to  turn  us  over,  one  after  another,  as  on  the  former 
occasion,  and  to  feel  us,  until  one  pleased  him  ;  whereupon  he  seized 
him,  and  did  with  him  as  he  did  with  the  master  of  the  ship  the  day  before. 
He  roasted  him  and  ate  him  upon  that  bench,  and  ceased  not  to  sleep 
that  night,  making  a  noise  with  his  throat  like  a  slaughtered  animal ;  and 
when  the  day  came,  he  arose  and  went  his  way,  leaving  us  as  usual.  Upon 
this  we  assembled  together  and  conversed,  and  said  one  to  another,  By 
Allah,  if  we  cast  ourselves  into  the  sea  and  die  drowned,  it  will  be  better 
than  our  dying  burned  ;  for  this  mode  of  being  put  to  death  is  abominable  ! 
And  one  of  us  said,  Hear  my  words.  Verily  we  will  contrive  a  stratagem 
against  him  and  kill  him,  and  be  at  ease  from  apprehension  of  his  purpose, 
and  relieve  the  Faithful  from  his  oppression  and  tyranny.  So  I  said  to 
them,  Hear,  O  my  brothers.  If  we  must  kill  him,  we  will  transport  this 
wood,  and  remove  some  of  this  fire-wood,  and  make  for  ourselves  rafts, 
each  to  bear  three  men ;  after  which  we  will  contrive  a  stratagem  to  kill 
him,  and  embark  on  the  rafts,  and  proceed  over  the  sea  to  whatsoever 
place  God  shall  desire.  Or  will  remain  in  this  place  until  a  ship  shall  pass 
by,  when  we  will  embark  in  it.  And  if  we  be  not  able  to  kill  him,  we  will 
embark  [on  our  rafts],  and  put  out  to  sea;  and  if  we  be  drowned,  we  shall 

133 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

be  preserved  from  being  roasted  over  the  fire,  and  from  being  slaughtered. 
If  we  escape,  we  escape ;  and  if  we  be  drowned,  we  die  martyrs.  To 
this  they  all  replied,  By  Allah,  this  is  a  right  opinion  and  a  wise  proceeding. 
And  we  agreed  upon  this  matter,  and  commenced  the  work.  We  removed 
the  pieces  of  wood  out  of  the  pavilion,  and  constructed  rafts,  attached  them 
to  the  sea-shore,  and  stowed  upon  them  some  provisions ;  after  which  we 
returned  to  the  pavilion. 

And  when  it  was  evening,  Io,  the  earth  trembled  with  us,  and  the  black 
came  in  to  us  like  the  biting  dog.  He  turned  us  over  and  felt  us,  one  after 
another,  and,  having  taken  one  of  us,  did  with  him  as  he  had  done  with 
the  others  before  him.  He  ate  him,  and  slept  upon  the  bench,  and  the 
noise  from  his  throat  was  like  thunder.  So  thereupon  we  arose  and  took 
two  iron  spits,  of  those  which  were  set  up,  and  put  them  in  the  fierce  fire 
until  they  were  red  hot,  and  became  like  burning  coals  ;  when  we  grasped 
them  firmly,  and  went  with  them  to  that  black  while  he  lay  asleep  snoring, 
and  we  thrust  them  into  his  eyes,  all  of  us  pressing  upon  them  with  our 
united  strength  and  force.  Thus  we  pushed  them  into  his  eyes  as  he  slept, 
and  his  eyes  were  destroyed,  and  he  uttered  a  great  cry,  whereat,  our 
hearts  were  terrified.  Then  he  arose  resolutely  from  that  bench,  and  be- 
gan to  search  for  us,  while  we  fled  from  him  to  the  right  and  left,  and  he 
saw  us  not ;  for  his  sight  was  blinded ;  but  we  feared  him  with  a  violent 
fear,  and  made  sure,  in  that  time,  of  destruction,  and  despaired  of  safety. 
And  upon  this  he  sought  the  door,  feeling  for  it,  and  went  forth  from  it, 
crying  out,  while  we  were  in  the  utmost  fear  of  him  ;  and  lo,  the  earth 
shook  beneath  us,  by  reason  of  the  vehemence  of  his  cry.  So  when  he 
went  forth  from  the  pavilion,  we  followed  him,  and  he  went  his  way, 
searching  for  us.  Then  he  returned,  accompanied  by  a  female  greater 
than  he,  and  more  hideous  in  form ;  and  when  we  beheld  him,  and  her 
who  was  with  him,  more  horrible  than  he  in  appearance,  we  were  in  the 
utmost  fear.  As  soon  as  the  female  saw  us,  we  hastily  loosed  the  rafts 
that  we  had  constructed,  and  embarked  on  them,  and  pushed  them  forth 
into  the  sea.  But  each  of  the  two  blacks  had  a  mass  of  rock,  and  they 
cast  at  us  until  the  greater  number  of  us  died  from  the  casting,  there  re- 
maining of  us  only  three  persons,  I  and  two  others ;  and  the  raft  conveyed 
us  to  another  island. 

We  walked  forward  upon  that  island  until  the  close  of  the  day,  and  the 
night  overtook  us  in  this  state ;  so  we  slept  a  little  ;  and  we  awoke  from 
our  sleep,  and  lo,  a  serpent  of  enormous  size,  of  large  body  and  wide  belly, 
had  surrounded  us.  It  approached  one  of  us,  and  swallowed  him  to  his 
shoulders  ;  then  it  swallowed  the  rest  of  him,  and  we  heard  his  ribs  break 
in  pieces  in  its  belly  ;  after  which  it  went  its  way.  At  this  we  wondered 
extremely,  and  we  mourned  for  our  companion,  and  were  in  the  utmost 
fear  for  ourselves,  saying,  By  Allah,  this  is  a  wonderful  thing !  Every 
death  that  we  witness  is  more  horrible  than  the  preceding  one  !  We  were 
rejoiced  at  our  escape  from  the  black  ;  but  our  joy  is  not  complete  !  There 
is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God  !  By  Allah,  we  have  escaped  from 
the  black  and  from  drowning;  but  how  shall  we  escape  from  this  unlucky 
serpent  ?  Then  we  arose  and  walked  on  over  the  island,  eating  of  its  fruits 
and  drinking  of  its  rivers,  and  we  ceased  not  to  proceed  till  morning,  whea 
we  found  a  great,  lofty  tree.  So  we  climbed  up  it,  and  slept  upon  it ;  I 
having  ascended  to  the  highest  of  its  branches.  But  when  the  night  arrived 
134 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

and  it  was  dark,  the  serpent  came,  looking  to  the  right  and  left,  and,  ad- 
vancing to  the  tree  upon  which  we  were,  came  up  to  my  companion  and 
swallowed  him  to  his  shoulders  ;  and  it  wound  itself  round  the  tree  with 
him,  and  I  heard  his  bones  break  in  pieces  in  its  belly  :  then  it  swallowed 
him  entirely,  while  I  looked  on ;  after  which  it  descended  from  the  tree 
and  went  its  way.  I  remained  upon  that  tree  the  rest  of  the  night;  and 
when  the  day  came  and  the  light  appeared,  I  descended  from  the  tree,  like 
one  dead,  by  reason  of  excessive  fear  and  terror,  and  desired  to  cast  myself 
into  the  sea,  that  I  might  be  at  rest  from  the  world  ;  but  it  was  not  a  light 
matter  to  me  to  do  so  ;  for  life  is  dear.  So  1  tied  a  wide  piece  of  wood  upon 
the  soles  of  my  feet,  cross-wise,  and  1  tied  one  like  it  upon  my  left  side,  and 
a  similar  one  upon  my  right  side,  and  a  similar  one  upon  the  front  of  my 
body,  and  I  tied  one  long  and  wide  upon  the  top  of  my  head,  ci'oss-wise,  like 
that  which  was  under  the  soles  of  my  feet.  Thus  I  was  in  the  midst  of  these 
pieces  of  wood,  and  they  inclosed  me  on  every  side.  I  bound  them  tightly, 
and  threw  myself  with  the  whole  upon  the  ground  :  so  I  lay  in  the  midst  of 
the  pieces  of  wood,  which  inclosed  me  like  a  closet.  And  when  the  evening 
arrived,  the  serpent  approached  as  it  was  wont,  and  saw  me,  and  drew  to- 
ward me;  but  it  could  not  swallow  me  when  I  was  in  that  state,  with  the 
pieces  of  wood  round  me  on  every  side.  It  went  round  me  ;  but  could  not 
get  at  me  ;  and  I  looked  at  it,  being  like  a  dead  man,  by  reason  of  the  violence 
of  my  fear  and  terror.  The  serpent  retired  from  me,  and  returned  to  me  ; 
and  thus  it  ceased  not  to  do  :  every  time  that  it  desired  to  get  at  me  to 
swallow  me,  the  pieces  of  wood  tied  upon  me  on  every  side  prevented  it, 
It  continued  to  do  thus  from  sunset  until  daybreak  arrived,  and  the  light 
appeared  and  the  sun  rose,  when  it  went  its  way  in  the  utmost  vexation 
and  rage.  Upon  this,  therefore,  I  stretched  forth  my  hands  and  loosed 
myself  from  those  pieces  of  wood,  in  a  state  like  that  of  the  dead,  through 
the  severity  of  that  which  I  had  suffered  from  that  serpent. 

I  then  arose  and  walked  along  the  island  until  I  came  to  the  extremity 
of  it ;  when  I  cast  a  glance  toward  the  sea,  and  beheld  a  ship  at  a  distance, 
in  the  midst  of  the  deep.  So  I  took  a  great  branch  of  a  tree,  and  made  a 
sign  with  it  to  the  passengers,  calling  out  to  them  ;  and  when  they  saw  me, 
they  said,  We  must  see  what  this  is.  Perhaps  it  is  a  man.  They  then 
approached  me,  and  heard  my  cries  to  them.  They  therefore  came  to 
me,  and  took  me  with  them  in  the  ship,  and  asked  me  respecting  my  state  : 
so  I  informed  them  of  all  that  had  happened  to  me  from  beginning  to 
end,  and  of  the  troubles  that  I  had  suffered  ;  whereat  they  wondered  ex- 
tremely. They  clad  me  with  some  of  their  clothes,  attiring  me  decently  ; 
and  after  that  they  put  before  me  some  provisions,  and  I  ate  until  I  was 
satisfied.  They  also  gave  me  to  drink  some  cool  and  sweet  water,  and  my 
heart  was  revived,  my  soul  became  at  ease,  and  I  experienced  great  com- 
fort. God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  had  raised  me  to  life  after  my  death  : 
so  I  praised  Him  (exalted  be  his  name  !)  for  his  abundant  favors,  and 
thanked  him.  My  courage  was  strengthened  after  I  had  made  sure  of 
destruction,  so  that  it  seemed  to  me  that  all  which  I  then  experienced  was 
a  dream.  We  proceeded  on  our  voyage,  and  the  wind  was  fair  to  us,  by 
the  permission  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  until  we  came  in  sight  of 
an  island  called  the  Island  of  Selahit,  where  sandal-wood  is  abundant,  and 
there  the  master  anchored  the  ship,  and  the  merchants  and  other  passen- 

135 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


Sindbad  the  Sailor  hailing  the  vessel. 


gers  landed,  and  took  forth  their  goods  to  sell  and  buy.  The  owner  of  the 
ship  then  looked  toward  me,  and  said  to  me,  Hear  my  words.  Thou  art 
a  stranger  and  poor,  and  hast  informed  us  that  thou  hast  suffered  many 
hoiTors ;  I  therefore  desire  to  benefit  thee  with  something  that  will  aid 
thee  to  reach  thy  country,  and  thou  wilt  pray  for  me.  I  replied,  So  be  it, 
and  thou  shalt  have  my  prayers.  And  he  rejoined,  Know  that  there  was 
with  us  a  man  voyaging,  whom  we  lost,  and  we  know  not  whether  he  be 
living  or  dead,  having  heard  no  tidings  of  him.  I  desire  to  commit  to  thee 
his  bales,  that  thou  may  est  sell  them  in  this  island.  Thou  shalt  take  charge 
of  them,  and  we  will  give  thee  something  proportionate  to  thy  trouble  and 
thy  service  ;  and  what  remaineth  of  them  we  will  take  and  keep  until  we 
return  to  the  city  of  Bagdad,  when  we  will  inquire  for  the  owner's  family, 
and  give  to  them  the  remainder,  together  with  the  price  of  that  which 
shall  be  sold  of  them.  Wilt  thou  then  take  charge  of  them,  and  land  with 
them  upou  this  island,  and  sell  them  as  do  the  merchants  ?  I  answered,  I 
hear  and  obey  thee,  O  my  master  ;  and  thou  art  beneficent  and  kind.  And 
I  prayed  for  him  and  thanked  him  for  that. 

He  thereupon  ordered  the  porters  and  sailors  to  land  those  goods  upon 
the  island,  and  to  deliver  them  to  me.  And  the  clerk  of  the  ship  said,  O 
master,  what  are  these  bales  which  the  sailors  and  porters  have  brought 
out,  and  with  the  name  of  which  of  the  merchants  shall  I  mark  them  ? 
He  answered,  Write  upon  them  the  name  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor,  who  was 
with  us,  and  was  drowned  [or  left  behind]  at  the  island  of  the  roc,  and  of 
whom  no  tidings  have  come  to  us ;  wherefore  we  desire  that  this  stranger 
13G 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

sell  them,  and  take  charge  of  the  price  of  them,  and  we  will  give  him  some- 
what of  it  in  requital  of  his  trouble  and  his  sale  of  them.  What  shall  re- 
main we  will  take  with  us  until  we  return  to  the  city  of  Bagdad,  when,  if 
we  find  him,  we  will  give  it  to  him  ;  and  if  we  find  him  not,  we  will  give 
it  to  his  family  in  Bagdad.  So  the  clerk  replied,  Thy  words  are  good,  and 
thy  notion  is  excellent.  And  when  I  heard  the  words  of  the  master,  men- 
tioning that  the  bales  were  to  be  inscribed  with  my  name,  I  said  within 
myself,  By  Allah,  I  am  Sindbad  the  Sailor.  Then  I  fortified  myself,  and 
waited  till  the  merchants  had  landed  and  had  assembled  conversing  and 
consulting  upon  affairs  of  selling  and  buying,  when  I  advanced  to  the  owner 
of  the  ship,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  dost  thou  know  what  manner 
of  man  was  the  owner  of  the  bales  which  thou  hast  committed  to  me  that 
I  may  sell  them  7  He  answered  me,  I  know  not  his  condition  ;  but  he 
was  a  man  of  the  city  of  Bagdad,  called  Sindbad  the  Sailor;  and  we  had 
cast  anchor  at  one  of  the  islands,  where  he  was  lost,  and  we  have  had  no 
tidings  of  him  to  the  present  time.  So  upon  this  I  uttered  a  great  cry, 
and  said  to  him,  O  master,  whom  may  God  preserve  !  know  that  I  am  Sind- 
bad the  Sailor.  I  was  not  drowned  ;  but  when  thou  anchoredst  at  the 
island,  and  the  merchants  and  other  passengers  landed,  I  also  landed  with 
the  party,  taking  with  me  something  to  eat  on  the  shore  of  the  island. 
Then  I  enjoyed  myself  in  sitting  in  that  place,  and,  slumber  overtaking  me, 
I  slept,  and  became  immersed  in  sleep;  after  which  I  arose,  and  found  not 
the  ship,  nor  found  I  any  one  with  me.  Therefore  this  wealth  is  my 
wealth,  and  these  goods  are  my  goods.  All  the  merchants,  also,  who  trans- 
port diamonds  saw  me  when  I  was  upon  the  mountain  of  the  diamonds, 
and  they  will  bear  witness  for  me  that  I  am  Sindbad  the  Sailor,  as  I  in- 
formed them  of  my  story  and  of  the  events  that  befell  me  with  you  in  the 
ship.  I  informed  them  that  ye  had  forgotten  me  upon  the  island  asleep, 
and  that  I  arose  and  found  not  any  one,  and  that  what  had  befallen  me  be- 
fell me. 

And  when  the  merchants  and  other  passengers  heard  my  words,  they 
assembled  around  me;  and  some  of  them  believed  me,  and  others  disbe- 
lieved me.  But  while  we  were  thus  talking,  lo,  one  of  the  merchants,  on 
his  hearing  me  mention  the  valley  of  diamonds,  arose  and  advanced  to  me, 
and  said  to  them,  Hear,  O  company,  my  words.  When  I  related  to  you 
the  most  wonderful  thing  that  I  had  seen  in  my  travels,  I  told  you  that, 
when  we  cast  down  the  slaughtered  animals  into  the  valley  of  diamonds,  I 
casting  down  mine  with  the  rest,  as  I  was  accustomed  to  do,  there  came 
up  with  my  slaughtered  beast  a  man  attached  to  it,  and  ye  believed  me  not, 
but  accused  me  of  falsehood.  They  replied,  Yes;  thou  didst  relate  to  us 
this  thing,  and  we  believed  thee  not.  And  the  merchant  said  to  them, 
This  is  the  man  who  attached  himself  to  my  slaughtered  animal,  and  he 
gave  me  some  diamonds  of  high  price,  the  like  of  which  exist  not,  reward- 
ing mo  with  more  than  would  have  come  up  with  my  slaughtered  animal; 
and  I  took  him  as  my  companion  until  we  arrived  at  the  city  of  Balsora, 
whence  he  proceeded  to  his  country,  having  bidden  us  farewell,  and  we 
returned  to  our  own  countries.  This  is  he,  and  he  informed  us  that  his 
name  was  Sindbad  the  Sailor:  he  told  us  likewise  of  the  departure  of  the 
ship,  and  his  sitting  in  that  island.  And  know  ye  that  this  man  came  not 
to  us  here  but  in  order  that  ye  might  believe  my  words  respecting  the 

137 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

matter  which  I  told  you;  and  all  these  goods  are  his  property;  for  he  in- 
formed us  of  them  at  the  time  of  his  meeting  with  us,  and  the  truth  of  his 
assertion  hath  become  manifest.  So  when  the  master  heard  the  words  of 
that  merchant,  he  arose  and  came  to  me,  and,  having  looked  at  me  a  while 
with  a  scrutinizing  eye,  said,  What  is  the  mark  of  thy  goods  ?  I  answered 
him,  Know  that  the  mark  of  my  goods  is  of  such  and  such  a  kind.  And 
I  related  to  him  a  circumstance  that  had  occurred  between  me  and  him 
when  I  embarked  with  him  in  the  vessel  from  Balsora.  He  therefore  was 
convinced  that  I  was  Sindbad  the  Sailor,  and  he  embraced  me  and  saluted 
me,  and  congratulated  me  on  my  safety,  saying  to  me,  By  Allah,  O  my 
master,  thy  story  is  wonderful,  and  thy  case  is  extraordinary.  But  praise 
be  to  God  who  hath  brought  us  together,  and  restored  thy  goods  and  thy 
wealth  to  thee  ! 

Upon  this  I  disposed  of  my  goods  according  to  the  knowledge  I  pos- 
sessed, and  they  procured  me,  during  that  voyage,  great  gain,  whereat  I 
rejoiced  exceedingly,  congratulating  myself  on  my  safety,  and  on  the  res- 
toration of  my  wealth  to  me.  And  we  ceased  not  to  sell  and  buy  at  the 
islands  until  we  arrived  at  the  country  of  Sinde,  where  likewise  we  sold 
and  bought.  And  I  beheld  in  that  sea  [which  we  navigated,  namely,  the 
Sea  of  India]  many  wonders  and  strange  things  that  can  not  be  numbered 
nor  calculated.  Among  the  things  that  I  saw  there  were  a  fish  in  the  form 
of  the  cow,  and  a  creature  in  the  form  of  the  ass ;  and  I  saw  a  bird  that 
cometh  forth  from  a  sea-shell,  and  layeth  its  eggs  and  hatcheth  them  upon 
the  surface  of  the  water,  and  never  cometh  forth  from  the  sea  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth.  After  this  we  continued  our  voyage,  by  permission  of 
God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  the  wind  and  voyage  were  pleasant  to 
us,  until  we  arrived  at  Balsora,  where  I  remained  a  few  days.  Then  I 
came  to  the  city  of  Bagdad,  and  repaired  to  my  quarter,  entered  my  house, 
and  saluted  my  family,  and  companions,  and  friends.  I  rejoiced  at  my  safety, 
and  my  return  to  my  country,  and  my  family,  and  city,  and  district ;  and  1 
gave  alms  and  presents,  and  clad  the  widows  and  the  orphans,  and  collected 
my  companions  and  friends.  And  I  ceased  not  to  live  thus,  eating  and 
drinking,  and  sporting  and  making  merry,  eating  well  and  drinking  well,  as- 
sociating familiarly  and  mixing  in  society ;  and  I  forgot  all  that  had  hap- 
pened to  me,  and  the  distresses  and  horrors  that  I  had  suffered.  And  I 
gained  during  that  voyage  what  could  not  be  numbered  or  calculated.  Such 
were  the  most  wonderful  of  the  things  that  I  beheld  during  that  voyage ; 
and  to-morrow,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  thou 
shalt  come  [O  Sindbad  the  Porter],  and  I  will  relate  to  thee  the  story  of 
the  fourth  voyage ;  for  it  is  more  wonderful  than  the  stories  of  the  preced- 
ing voyages. 

Then  Sindbad  the  Sailor  gave  orders  to  present  to  the  porter  a  hundred 
pieces  of  gold,  as  usual,  and  commanded  to  spread  the  table.  So  they 
spread  it,  and  the  company  supped,  wondering  at  that  story  and  at  the 
events  described  in  it;  and  after  the  supper  they  went  their  ways.  Sind- 
bad the  Porter  took  the  gold  that  Sindbad  the  Sailor  had  ordered  to  be 
given  to  him,  and  went  his  way,  wondering  at  that  which  he  had  heard, 
and  passed  the  night  in  his  house  ;  and  when  the  morning  came,  and  dif- 
fused its  light  and  shone,  he  arose  and  performed  the  morning  prayers,  and 
walked  to  the  house  of  Siudbad  the  Sailor.  He  went  in  to  him  and  saluted 
133 


THIRD  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

him ;  and  he  received  him  with  joy  and  gayety,  and  made  him  sit  by  him 
until  the  rest  of  his  companions  had  come;  when  the  servants  brought  for- 
ward the  food,  and  the  party  ate  and  drank,  and  enjoyed  themselves.  Then 
Sindbad  the  Sailor  began  to  address  them,  and  related  to  them  the  fourth 
story,  saying, 


„juwwnw  Nfi  /\fAiAiA(^f/\'AW--^^■ 


139 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SA1LOF. 


Sindbad  the  Sailor  and  his  companions  on  the  plank. 


THE  FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

Know,  O  my  brothers,  that  when  I  returned  to  the  city  of  Bagdad,  and 
met  my  companions,  and  my  family,  and  my  friends,  and  was  enjoying  the 
utmost  pleasure,  and  happiness,  and  ease,  and  had  forgotten  all  that  I  had 
experienced,  by  reason  of  the  abundance  of  my  gains,  and  had  become  im- 
mersed in  sport  and  mirth,  and  the  society  of  friends  and  companions,  lead- 
ing the  most  delightful  life,  my  wicked  soul  suggested  to  me  to  travel  again 
to  the  countries  of  other  people,  and  I  felt  a  longing  for  associating  with 
the  different  races  of  men,  and  for  selling  and  gains.  So  I  resolved  upon 
this,  and  purchased  precious  goods,  suitable  to  a  sea-voyage,  and,  having 
packed  up  many  bales,  more  than  usual,  I  went  from  the  city  of  Bagdad 
to  the  city  of  Balsora,  where  I  embarked  my  bales  in  a  ship,  and  joined 
myself  to  a  party  of  the  chief  men  of  Balsora,  and  we  set  forth  on  our 
voyage.  The  vessel  proceeded  with  us,  confiding  in  the  blessing  of  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !),  over  the  roaring  sea  agitated  with  waves,  and 
140 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

the  voyage  was  pleasant  to  us  ;  and  we  ceased  not  to  proceed  in  this  man- 
ner for  a  period  of  nights  and  days,  from  island  to  island,  and  from  sea  to 
sea,  until  a  contrary  wind  arose  against  us  one  day.  The  master  therefore 
cast  the  anchors,  and  stayed  the  ship  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  fearing  that 
she  would  sink  in  the  midst  of  the  deep.  And  while  we  were  in  this  state, 
supplicating,  and  humbling  ourselves  to  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !), 
there  arose  against  us  a  great  tempest,  which  rent  the  sails  in  strips,  and 
the  people  were  submerged  with  all  their  bales,  and  their  commodities  and 
wealth.  I  was  submerged  among  the  rest,  and  I  swam  in  the  sea  for  half 
a  day,  after  which  I  abandoned  myself;  but  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !) 
aided  me  to  lay  hold  upon  a  piece  of  one  of  the  planks  of  the  ship,  and  I 
and  a  party  of  the  merchants  got  upon  it.  We  continued  sitting  upon 
this  plank,  striking  the  sea  with  our  feet,  and  the  waves  and  the  wind  help- 
ing us;  and  we  remained  in  this  state  a  day  and  a  night.  And  on  the  fol- 
lowing day,  shortly  before  the  mid-time  between  sunrise  and  noon,  a  wind 
arose  against  us,  the  sea  became  boisterous,  the  waves  and  the  wind  were 
violent,  and  the  water  cast  us  upon  an  island  ;  and  we  were  like  dead  men, 
from  excess  of  sleeplessness,  and  fatigue,  and  cold,  and  hunger,  and  fear, 
and  thirst. 

We  walked  along  the  shores  of  that  island,  and  found  upon  it  abundant 
herbs ;  so  we  ate  some  of  them  to  stay  our  departing  spirits,  and  to  sus- 
tain us ;  and  passed  the  next  night  upon  the  shore  of  the  island.  And 
when  the  morning  came,  and  diffused  its  light  and  shone,  we  arose  and 
walked  about  the  island  to  the  right  and  left,  and  there  appeared  to  us  a 
building  in  the  distance.  We  therefore  proceeded  over  the  island  in  the 
direction  of  that  building  which  we  had  seen  from  a  distance,  and  ceased 
not  to  proceed  until  we  stood  at  its  door.  And  while  we  were  standing 
there,  lo,  there  came  forth  to  us  from  that  door  a  party  of  naked  men,  who, 
without  speaking  to  us,  seized  us,  and  took  us  to  their  king,  and  he  com- 
manded us  to  sit.  So  we  sat ;  and  they  brought  to  us  some  food,  such  as 
we  knew  not,  nor  in  our  lives  had  we  seen  the  like  of  it ;  wherefore  my 
stomach  consented  not  to  it,  and  I  ate  none  of  it  in  comparison  with  my 
companions,  and  my  eating  so  little  of  it  was  owing  to  the  grace  of  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted!),  in  consequence  of  which  I  have  lived  to  the 
present  time.     For  when  my  companions  ate  of  that  food,  their  minds  be- 


Cn<Miilp;ils  intoxicating  Sindbad's  companions. 


1  11 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

came  stupefied,  and  they  ate  like  madmen,  and  their  states  became  changed. 
Then  the  people  brought  to  them  cocoa-nut  oil,  and  gave  them  to  drink  of 
it,  and  anointed  them  with  it ;  and  when  my  companions  drank  of  that 
oil,  their  eyes  became  turned  in  their  faces,  and  they  proceeded  to  eat  of 
that  food  contrary  to  their  usual  maimer.  Upon  this,  therefore,  I  was  con- 
founded respecting  their  case,  and  grieved  for  them,  and  became  extremely 
anxious  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  my  fear  for  myself  with  regard  to 
these  naked  men.  I  observed  them  attentively,  and  lo,  they  were  a  Ma- 
gian  people,  and  the  king  of  their  cit}7  was  a  ghoul ;  and  every  one  who 
arrived  at  their  country,  or  whom  they  saw  or  met  in  the  valley  or  the 
roads,  they  brought  to  their  king,  and  they  fed  him  with  that  food,  and 
anointed  him  with  that  oil,  in  consequence  of  which  his  body  became  ex- 
panded, in  order  that  he  might  eat  largely  ;  and  his  mind  became  stupefied, 
his  faculty  of  reflection  was  destroyed,  and  he  became  like  an  idiot.  Then 
they  gave  him  to  eat  and  drink  in  abundance  of  that  food  and  oil,  until  he 
became  fat  and  stout,  when  they  slaughtered  him  and  roasted  him,  and 
served  him  as  meat  to  their  king.  But  as  to  the  companions  of  the  king, 
they  ate  the  flesh  of  men  without  roasting  or  otherwise  cookiug  it.  So 
when  I  saw  them  do  thus,  I  was  in  the  utmost  anguish  on  my  own  account 
and  on  account  of  my  companions.  The  latter,  by  reason  of  the  excessive 
stupefaction  of  their  minds,  knew  not  what  was  done  unto  them,  and  the 
people  committed  them  to  a  person  who  took  them  every  day  and  went 
forth  to  pasture  them  on  that  island  like  cattle. 

But  as  for  myself,  I  became,  through  the  violence  of  fear  and  hunger,  in- 
firm and  wasted  in  body,  and  my  flesh  dried  upon  my  bones.  So  when 
they  saw  me  in  this  state,  they  left  me  and  forgot  me,  and  not  one  of  them 
remembered  me,  nor  did  I  occur  to  their  minds,  until  I  contrived  a  strata- 
gem one  day,  and,  going  forth  from  that  place,  walked  along  the  island  to  a 
distance.  And  I  saw  a  herdsman  sitting  upon  something  elevated  in  the 
midst  of  the  sea;  and  I  certified  myself  of  him,  and  lo,  he  was  the  man  to 
whom  they  had  committed  my  companions  that  he  might  pasture  them  ; 
and  he  had  with  him  many  like  them.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  that  man  be- 
held me,  he  knew  that  I  was  in  possession  of  my  reason,  and  that  naught 
of  that  which  had  afflicted  my  companions  had  afflicted  me.  So  he  made 
a  sign  to  me  £10111  a  distance,  and  said  to  me,  Turn  back,  and  go  along  the 
road  that  is  on  thy  right  hand  :  thou  wilt  so  reach  the  king's  highway.  Ac- 
cordingly, I  turned  back,  as  this  man  directed  me,  and,  seeing  a  road  on  my 
right  hand,  I  proceeded  along  it,  and  ceased  not  to  go  on,  sometimes  run- 
ning by  reason  of  fear,  and  sometimes  walking  at  my  leisure  until  I  had 
taken  rest.  Thus  I  continued  to  do  until  I  was  hidden  from  the  eyes  of 
the  man  who  directed  me  to  the  way,  and  I  saw  him  not,  nor  did  he  see 
me.  The  sun  had  disappeared  from  me,  and  darkness  approached;  where- 
fore I  sat  to  rest,  and  desired  to  sleep  ;  but  sleep  came  not  to  me  that  night 
on  account  of  the  violence  of  my  fear,  and  hunger,  and  fatigue.  And  when 
it  was  midnight,  I  arose  and  walked  on  over  the  island,  and  I  ceased  not  to 
proceed  until  day  arrived,  and  the  morning  came  and  diffused  its  light  and 
shone,  and  the  sun  rose  over  the  tops  of  the  high  hills  and  over  the  low, 
gravelly  plains.  I  was  tired,  and  hungry,  and  thirsty  :  so  I  began  to  eat  of 
the  herbs  and  vegetables  that  were  upon  the  island,  and  continued  to  eat 
of  them  till  I  was  satiated,  and  my  departing  spirit  was  stayed  ;  after  which 
I  arose  and  walked  on  again  over  the  island  ;  and  thus  I  ceased  not  to  do 
14? 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

all  the  day  and  the  next  night ;  whenever  I  was  hungry,  eating  of  the  veg- 
etables. 

In  this  manner  I  proceeded  for  the  space  of  seven  days  with  their 
nights ;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  eighth  day,  I  cast  a  glance,  and  beheld 
a  faint  object  in  the  distance.  So  I  went  toward  it,  and  ceased  not  to  pro- 
ceed until  I  came  up  to  it,  after  sunset ;  and  I  looked  at  it  with  a  scrutiniz- 
ing eye,  while  I  was  yet  distant  from  it,  and  with  a  fearful  heart,  in  conse- 
quence of  what  I  had  suffered  first  and  after ;  and  lo,  it  was  a  party  of 
men  gathering  pepper.  And  when  I  approached  them,  and  they  saw  me, 
they  hastened  to  me,  and  came  to  me  and  surrounded  me  on  every  side, 
saying  to  me,  Who  art  thou,  and  whence  hast  thou  come  ?  I  answered 
them,  Know  ye,  O  people,  that  I  am  a  poor  foreigner.  And  I  informed 
them  of  my  whole  case,  and  of  the  horrors  and  distresses  that  had  befallen 
me,  and  what  I  had  suffered;  whereupon  they  said,  By  Allah,  this  is  a 
wonderful  thing !  But  how  didst  thou  escape  from  the  blacks,  and  how 
didst  thou  pass  by  them  in  this  island,  when  they  are  a  numerous  people, 
and  eat  men,  and  no  one  is  safe  from  them,  nor  can  any  pass  by  them  ? 
So  I  acquainted  them  with  that  which  had  befallen  me  among  them,  and 
with  the  manner  in  which  they  had  taken  my  companions,  and  fed  them 


The  pepper-gatherers  listening  to  Sindoad's  story. 

with  food  of  which  I  did  not  eat.  And  they  congratulated  me  on  my 
safety,  and  wondered  at  that  which  had  befallen  me.  Then  they  made  me 
sit  among  them  until  they  had  finished  their  work,  and  brought  me  some 
nice  food.  I  therefore  ate  of  it,  being  hungry,  and  rested  with  them  a 
while ;  after  which  they  took  me  and  embarked  with  me  in  a  vessel,  and 
went  to  their  island  and  their  abodes.  They  then  took  me  to  their  king, 
and  I  saluted  him,  and  he  welcomed  me,  and  treated  me  with  honor,  and 
inquired  of  me  my  story.  So  1  related  to  him  what  I  had  experienced, 
and  what  had  befallen  me  and  happened  to  me  from  the  day  of  my  going 
forth  from  the  city  of"  Bagdad  until  I  had  come  unto  him.  And  the  king 
wondered  extremely  at  my  story,  and  at  the  events  that  had  happened  to 
me;  he,  and  all  who  were  present  in  his  assembly.  After  that  he  ordered 
me  to  sit  with  him.     Therefore  I  sat ;  and  he  gave  orders  to  bring  the  food, 

1  13 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

which  accordingly  they  brought,  and  I  ate  of  it.  as  much  as  sufficed  me, 
and  washed  my  hands,  and  offered  up  thanks  for  the  favor  of  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !),  praising  Him  and  glorifying  Him.  I  then  arose  from 
the  presence  of  the  king,  and  diverted  myself  with  a  sight  of  his  city;  and 
lo,  it  was  a  flourishing  city,  abounding  with  inhabitants  and  wealth,  and 
with  food,  and  markets,  and  goods,  and  sellers,  and  buyers. 

So  I  rejoiced  at  my  arrival  at  that  city,  and  my  heart  was  at  ease ;  I  be- 
came familiar  with  its  inhabitants,  and  was  magnified  aud  honored  by  them 
and  by  their  king  above  the  people  of  his  dominions  and  the  great  men  of 
his  city.  And  I  saw  that  all  its  great  men  and  its  small  rode  excellent  aud 
fine  horses  without  saddles;  whereat  I  wondered  ;  and  I  said  to  the  king, 
Wherefore,  O  my  lord,  dost  thou  not  ride  on  a  saddle  ?  for  therein  is  ease 
to  the  rider,  and  additional  power.  He  said,  What  kind  of  thing  is  a  sad- 
dle ?  This  is  a  thing  that  in  our  lives  we  have  never  seen,  nor  have  we 
ever  ridden  upon  it.  And  I  said  to  him,  Wilt  thou  permit  me  to  make  for 
thee  a  saddle  to  ride  upon  and  to  experience  the  pleasure  of  it  ?  He 
answered  me,  Do  so.  I  therefore  said  to  him,  Furnish  me  with  some 
wood.  And  he  gave  orders  to  bring  me  all  that  I  required.  Then  I 
asked  for  a  clever  carpenter,  and  sat  with  him,  and  taught  him  the  con- 
struction of  the  saddle,  and  how  he  should  make  it.  Afterward  I  took 
some  wool,  and  teased  it,  and  made  felt  of  it ;  and  I  caused  some  leather  to 
be  brought,  and  covered  the  saddle  with  it,  and  polished  it.  I  then  attach- 
ed its  straps,  and  its  girth;  after  which  I  brought  the  blacksmith,  and  de- 
scribed to  him  the  form  of  the  stirrups,  and  he  forged  an  excellent  pair  of 
stirrups ;  and  I  filed  them,  and  tinned  them.  Then  I  attached  fringes  of 
silk.  Having  done  this,  I  arose  and  brought  one  of  the  best  of  the  king's 
horses,  girded  upon  him  that  saddle,  attached  to  it  the  stirrups,  bridled  him, 
and  brought  him  forward  to  the  king ;  and  it  pleased  him,  and  was  agree- 
able to  him.  He  thanked  me,  and  seated  himself  upon  it,  and  was  greatly 
delighted  with  that  saddle  ;  and  he  gave  me  a  large  present,  as  a  reward 
for  that  which  I  had  done  for  him.  And  when  his  vizier  saw  that  I  had 
made  that  saddle,  he  desired  of  me  one  like  it.  So  I  made  for  him  a  sad- 
dle like  it.  The  grandees  and  dignitaries  likewise  desired  of  me  saddles, 
and  I  made  for  them.  I  taught  the  carpenter  the  construction  of  the  sad- 
dle, and  the  blacksmith  the  mode  of  making  stirrups;  and  we  employed 
ourselves  in  making  these  things,  and  sold  them  to  the  great  men  and  mas- 
ters. Thus  I  collected  abundant  wealth,  and  became  in  high  estimation 
with  them,  and  they  loved  me  exceedingly. 

I  continued  to  enjoy  a  high  rank  with  the  king,  and  his  attendants,  and 
the  great  men  of  the  country,  and  the  lords  of  the  state,  until  1  sat  one  day 
with  the  king,  in  the  utmost  happiness  and  honor ;  and  while  I  was  sitting, 
the  king  said  to  me.  Know,  O  thou,  that  thou  hast  become  magnified  and 
honored  among  us,  and  hast  become  one  of  us,  and  we  can  not  part  with 
thee,  nor  can  we  suffer  thee  to  depart  from  our  city :  and  I  desire  of  thee 
that  thou  obey  me  in  an  affair,  and  reject  not  that  which  I  shall  say.  So  I 
said  to  him,  And  what  dost  thou  desire  of  me,  O  king?  Fori  will  not  re- 
ject that  which  thou  shalt  say,  since  thou  hast  shown  favor,  and  kindness, 
and  beneficence  to  me,  and  (praise  be  to  God  !)  T  have  become  one  of  thy 
servants.  And  he  answered,  I  desire  to  marry  thee  among  us  to  a  beauti- 
ful, lovely,  elegant  wife,  possessed  of  wealth  and  loveliness,  and  thou  shalt 
become  a  dweller  with  us,  and  I  will  lodge  thee  by  me  in  my  palace;  there- 
144 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

fore  oppose  me  not,  nor  reject  what  I  say.  And  when  I  heard  the  words 
of  the  king,  I  was  abashed  at  him,  and  was  silent,  returning  him  no  an- 
swer, by  reason  of  the  exceeding  bashfulness  with  which  I  regarded  him. 
So  he  said,  Wherefore  dost  thou  not  reply  to  me,  O  my  son  ?  And  I  an- 
swered him,  O  my  master,  it  is  thine  to  command,  O  king  of  the  age  ! 
And  upon  this  he  sent  immediately,  and  caused  the  cadi  and  the  witnesses 
to  come,  and  married  me  forthwith  to  a  woman  of  noble  rank,  of  high  line- 
age, possessing  abundant  wealth  and  fortune,  of  great  origin,  of  surprising 
loveliness  and  beauty,  owner  of  dwellings,  and  possessions,  and  buildings. 
Theu  he  gave  me  a  great,  haudsome  house,  standing  alone,  and  he  gave  me 
servants  and  other  dependents,  and  assigned  me  supplies  and  salaries. 
Thus  I  became  in  a  state  of  the  utmost  ease,  and  joy,  and  happiness,  for- 
getting all  the  fatigue,  and  affliction,  and  adversity  that  had  happened  to 
me  ;  and  I  said  within  myself,  When  I  set  forth  on  my  voyage  to  my  coun- 
try, I  will  take  her  with  me.  But  every  event  that  is  predestined  to  happen 
to  man  must  inevitably  take  place,  and  no  one  knoweth  what  will  befall  him. 
I  loved  her,  and  she  loved  me  with  a  great  affection  ;  concord  existed  be- 
tween me  and  her,  and  we  lived  in  a  most  delightful  manner,  and  most 
comfortable  abode,  and  ceased  not  to  enjoy  this  state  for  a  Jength  of  time. 

Then  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  destroyed  the  wife  of  my  neigh- 
bor; and  he  was  a  companion  of  mine.  So  I  went  in  to  him  to  console 
him  for  the  loss  of  his  wife,  and  beheld  him  in  a  most  evil  state,  anxious, 
weary  in  soul  and  heart;  and  upon  this  I  consoled  him  and  comforted  him, 
saying  to  him,  Mourn  not  for  thy  wife.  God  will  happily  compensate  thee 
by  giving  thee  one  better  than  she,  and  thy  life  will  be  long  if  it  be  the  will 
of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  But  he  wept  violently,  and  said  to  me, 
O  my  companion,  how  can  I  marry  another  after  her,  or  how  can  God  com- 
pensate tne  by  giving  me  a  better  than  she,  when  but  one  day  remaineth 
of  my  life  ?  So  I  replied,  O  my  brother,  return  to  thy  reason,  and  do  not 
announce  thine  own  death;  for  thou  art  well,  in  prosperity  and  health. 
But  he  said  to  me,  O  my  companion,  by  thy  life,  to-morrow  thou  wilt  lose 
me,  and  never  in  thy  life  wilt  thou  see  me  again.  And  how  so?  said  I. 
He  answered  me,  This  day  they  will  bury  my  wife,  and  they  will  bury  me 
with  her  in  the  sepulcher;  for  it  is  our  custom  in  our  country,  when  the 
wife  dieth,  to  bury  with  her  her  husband  alive ;  and  when  the  husband 
dieth,  they  bury  with  him  his  wife  alive  ;  that  neither  of  them  may  enjoy 
life  after  the  other.  I  therefore  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  this  custom  is  ex- 
ceedingly vile,  and  none  can  endure  it!  And  while  we  were  thus  con- 
versing, lo,  most  of  the  people  of  the  city  came,  and  proceeded  to  console 
my  companion  for  the  loss  of  his  wife  and  for  himself.  They  began  to 
prepare  her  body  for  burial  according  to  their  custom,  brought  a  bier,  and 
carried  the  woman  in  it,  with  all  her  apparel,  and  ornaments,  and  wealth, 
taking  the  husband  with  them  ;  and  they  went  forth  with  them  to  the  out- 
side of  the  city,  and  came  to  a  place  in  the  side  of  a  mountain,  by  the  sea. 
They  advanced  to  a  spot  there,  and  lifted  up  from  it  a  great  stone,  and 
there  appeared,  beneath  the  place  of  this,  a  margin  of  stone,  like  the  mar- 
gin of  a  well.  Into  this  they  threw  down  that  woman  ;  and  lo,  it  was  a 
great  pit  beneath  the  mountain.  Then  they  brought  the  man,  tied  him  be- 
neath his  bosom  by  a  rope  of  fibers  of  the  palm-tree,  and  let  him  down  into 
the  pit.  They  also  let  down  to  him  a  great  jug  of  sweet  water,  and  seven 
cakes  of  bread  ;  and  when  they  had  lot  him  down,  he  loosed  himself  from 

Vol.  II.— G  145 


the  rope,  and  they  drew  it  up,  and  covered  the 
mouth  of  the  pit  with  that  great  stone  as  it  was 
before,  and  went  their  ways,  leaving  ray  com- 
panion with  his  wife  in  the  pit.  So  I  said  within 
myself,  By  Allah,  this  death  is  more  grievous 
than  the  first  death  !  I  then  went  to  their  king, 
and  said  to  him,  O  my  lord,  how  is  it  that  ye 
bury  the  living  with  the  dead  in  your  country  1 
And  he  answered  me,  Know  that  this  is  our 
custom  in  our  country:  when  the  husband  dieth, 
we  bury  with  him  his  wife  ;  and  when  the  wife 
dieth,  we  bury  with  her  her  husband,  alive ;  that 
we  may  not  separate  them  in  life  nor  in  death; 
and  this  custom  we  have  received  from  our  fore- 
fathers. And  I  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  and  in 
like  manner  the  foreigner  like  me,  when  his 
wife  dieth  among  you,  do  ye  with  him  as  ye 
have  done  with  this  man  ?  He  answered  me, 
Yes ;  we  bury  him  with  her,  and  do  with  him 
as  thou  hast  seen.  Aud  when  I  heard  these 
words  from  him,  my  gall-bladder  almost  burst 
by  reason  of  the  violence  of  my  grief  and  mourn- 
ing for  myself;  my  mind  was  stupefied,  and  I 
became  fearful  lest  my  wife  should  die  before 
me,  and  they  should  bury  me  alive  with  her. 
Afterward,  however,  I  comforted  myself,  and 
said,  Perhaps  I  shall  die  before  her  ;  and  no  one 
knoweth  which  will  precede  and  which  will  fol- 
low. And  I  proceeded  to  beguile  myself  with 
occupations. 

But  a  short  time  had  elapsed  after  that  when 
my  wife  fell  sick,  and  she  remained  so  a  few 
days,  and  died.  So  the  greater  number  of  the 
people  assembled  to  console  me,  and  to  console 
her  family  for  her  death  ;  and  the  king  also 
came  to  console  me  for  the  loss  of  her,  as  was 
their  custom.  They  then  brought  for  her  a 
woman  to  wash  her,  and  they  washed  her,  and 
decked  her  with  the  richest  of  her  apparel,  and 
ornaments  of  gold,  and  necklaces,  and  jewels. 


epulchral  cnvera. 


1  If 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  UF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

And  when  they  had  attired  my  wife,  and  put  her  in  the  bier,  and  car- 
ried her  and  gone  with  her  to  that  mountain,  and  lifted  up  the  stone  from 
the  mouth  of  the  pit,  and  cast  her  into  it,  all  my  companions,  and  the 
family  of  my  wife,  advanced  to  bid  me  farewell,  and  to  console  me  for 
the  loss  of  my  life.  I  was  crying  out  among  them,  I  am  a  foreigner, 
and  am  unable  to  endure  your  custom  !  But.  they  would  not  hear 
what  I  said,  nor  pay  any  regard  to  my  words.  They  laid  hold  upon  me 
and  bound  me  by  force,  tying  with  me  seven  cakes  of  bread  and  a  jug  of 
sweet  water,  according  to  their  custom,  and  let  me  down  into  that  pit. 
And  lo,  it  was  a  great  cavern  beneath  that  mountain.  They  said  to  me, 
Loose  thyself  from  the  ropes.  But  I  would  not  loose  myself.  So  they 
threw  the  ropes  down  upon  me,  and  covered  the  mouth  of  the  pit  with  the 
great  stone  that  was  upon  it,  and  went  their  ways.  I  beheld  in  that  cav- 
ern many  dead  bodies,  and  their  smell  was  putrid  and  abominable  ;  and  I 
blamed  myself  for  that  which  I  had  done,  saying,  By  Allah,  I  deserve  all 
that  happeneth  to  me  and  befalleth  me  !  I  knew  not  night  from  day;  and 
I  sustained  myself  with  little  food,  not  eating  until  hunger  almost  killed  me, 
nor  drinking  until  my  thirst  became  violent,  fearing  the  exhaustion  of  the 
food  and  water  that  1  had  with  me.  1  said,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power 
but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  What  tempted  me  to  marry  in  this  city? 
And  every  time  that  I  say  I  have  escaped  from  a  calamity,  I  fall  into  a 
calamity  that  is  more  mighty  than  the  preceding  one  !  By  Allah,  my  dying 
this  death  is  unfortunate  !  Would  that  I  had  been  drowned  in  the  sea,  or 
had  died  upon  the  mountains  !  It  bad  been  better  for  me  than  this  evil 
death !  And  I  continued  in  this  manner,  blaming  myself.  I  laid  myself 
down  upon  the  bones  of  the  dead,  begging  aid  of  God  (whose  name  be  ex- 
alted!), and  wished  for  death,  but  1  found  it  not,  by  reason  of  the  severity 
of  my  sufferings.  Thus  I  remained  until  hunger  burned  my  stomach,  and 
thirst  inflamed  me  ;  when  I  sat,  and  felt  for  the  bread,  and  ate  a  little  of  it, 
and  I  swallowed  after  it  a  little  water.  Then  I  rose  and  stood  up,  and 
walked  about  the  sides  of  the  cavern  ;  and  I  found  that  it  was  spacious  side- 
ways, and  with  vacant  cavities  ;  but  upon  its  bottom  were  numerous  dead 
bodies,  and  rotten  bones,  that  had  lain  there  from  old  times.  And  upon 
this  I  made  for  myself  a  place  in  a  side  of  the  cavern,  remote  from  the 
fresh  corpses,  and  there  I  slept. 

At  length  my  provision  became  greatly  diminished,  little  remaining  with 
me.  During  each  day,  or  in  more  than  a  day,  I  had  eaten  but.  once,  and 
drank  one  draught,  fearing  the  exhaustion  of  the  water  and  food  that  was 
with  me  before  my  death  ;  and  I  ceased  not  to  do  this  until  I  was  sitting 
one  day,  and  while  I  sat,  meditating  upon  ray  case,  thinking  what  I  should 
do  when  my  food  and  water  were  exhausted,  lo,  the  mass  of  rock  was  re- 
moved from  its  place,  and  the  light  beamed  down  upon  me.  .So  I  said, 
What  can  be  the  matter?  And  behold,  the  people  were  standing  at  the 
top  of  the  pit,  and  they  let  down  a  dead  man  with  his  wife  with  him  alive, 
and  she  was  weeping  and  crying  out  for  herself:  and  they  let  down  with 
her  a  large  quantity  of  food  and  water.  I  saw  the  woman  ;  but  she  saw 
not  me;  and  they  covered  the  mouth  of  the  pit  with  the  stone,  and  went 
their  ways.  Then  I  arose,  and,  taking  in  my  hand  a  long  bone  of  a  dead 
man,  1  went  to  the  woman  and  struck  her  upon  the  middle  of  the  head; 
whereupon  she  fell  down  senseless  ;  and  I  struck  her  a  second  and  a  third 
time,  and  she  died.     So  I  took  her  bread  and  what  else  she  had,  and  1 

117 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

found  upon  her  abundance  of  ornaments,  and  apparel,  necklaces,  and  jew- 
els, and  minerals.  And  having  taken  the  water  and  food  that  was  with 
her,  1  sat  in  a  place  that  I  had  prepared  in  a  side  of  the  cavern,  wherein  to 
sleep,  and  proceeded  to  eat  a  little  of  that  food,  as  much  only  as  would  sus- 
tain me,  lest  it  should  he  exhausted  quickly,  and  I  should  die  of  hunger  and 
thirst. 

I  remained  in  that  cavern  a  length  of  time  ;  and  whenever  they  buried 
a  corpse,  I  killed  the  person  who  was  buried  with  it  alive,  and  took  that 
person's  food  and  drink,  to  subsist  upon  it,  until  I  was  sleeping  one  day, 
and  I  awoke  from  my  sleep,  and  heard  something  make  a  noise  in  a  side 
of  the  cavern.  So  1  said.  What  can  this  be  ?  I  then  arose  and  walked  to- 
ward it,  taking  with  me  a  long  bone  of  a  dead  man  ;  and  when  it  was  sens- 
ible of  my  presence,  it  ran  away,  and  fled  from  me :  and  lo,  it  was  a  wild 
beast.     But  I  followed  it  to  the  upper  part  of  the  cavern,  and  thereupon  a 


i_-      -*-_ 


The  beast  iu  the  cavern. 


light  appeared  to  me  from  a  small  spot,  like  a  star.  Sometimes  it  appear- 
ed to  me,  and  sometimes  it  was  concealed  from  me.  Therefore,  when  I 
saw  it,  I  advanced  toward  it ;  and  the  nearer  I  approached  to  it,  the  larger 
did  the  light  from  it  appear  to  me.  So  upon  this  I  was  convinced  that  it 
was  a  hole  in  that  cavern  communicating  with  the  open  country  ;  and  I  said 
within  myself,  There  must  be  some  cause  for  this :  either  it  is  a  second 
mouth,  like  that  from  which  they  let  me  down,  or  it  is  a  fissure  in  this 
place.  I  meditated  in  my  mind  a  while,  and  advanced  toward  the  light; 
and  lo,  it  was  a  perforation  in  the  back  of  that  mountain,  which  the  wild 
beasts  had  made,  and  through  which  they  entered  this  place  ;  and  they  ate 
of  the  dead  bodies  until  they  were  satiated,  and  went  forth  through  this 
perforation.  When  I  saw  it,  therefore,  my  mind  was  quieted,  my  soul 
was  tranquilized,  and  my  heart  was  at  ease ;  I  made  sure  of  life  after 
death,  and  became  as  in  a  dream.  Then  I  managed  to  force  my  way 
through  that  perforation,  and  found  myself  on  the  shore  of  the  sea,  upon  a 
great,  mountain,  which  formed  a  barrier  between  the  sea  on  the  one  side, 
and  the  island  and  city  on  the  other,  and  to  which  no  one  could  gain  ac- 
cess. So  I  praised  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  thanked  Him,  and 
148 


FOURTH   VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

rejoiced  exceedingly,  and  my  heart  was  strengthened.  I  then  returned 
through  that  perforation  into  the  cavern,  and  removed  all  the  food  and  wa- 
ter that  was  in  it  that  I  had  spared.  I  also  took  the  clothes  of  the  dead, 
and  clad  myself  in  some  of  them,  in  addition  to  those  I  had  on  me;  and  1 
took  abundance  of  the  things  that  were  on  the  dead,  consisting  of  varieties 
of  necklaces  and  jewels,  long  necklaces  of  pearls,  ornaments  of  silver  and 
gold  set  with  various  minerals,  and  rarities  ;  and,  having  tied  up  some 
clothes  of  the  dead  in  apparel  of  my  own,  I  went  forth  from  the  perfora- 
tion to  the  back  of  the  mountain,  and  stood  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea. 
Every  day  I  entered  the  cavern  and  explored  it ;  and  whenever  they 
buried  a  person  alive,  I  took  the  food  and  water,  and  killed  that  person, 
whether  male  or  female ;  after  which  I  went  forth  from  the  perforation, 
and  sat  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea,  to  wait  for  relief  from  God  (wdiose  name 
be  exalted!)  by  means  of  a  ship  passing  by  me.  And  I  removed  from 
that  cavern  all  the  ornaments  that  I  found,  and  tied  them  up  in  the  clothes 
of  the  dead. 

I  ceased  not  to  remain  in  this  state  for  a  length  of  time ;  and  afterward, 
as  I  was  sitting,  one  day,  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea,  meditating  upon  my 
case,  lo,  a  vessel  passed  along  in  the  midst  of  the  roaring  sea  agitated  with 
waves.  So  I  took  in  my  hand  a  white  garment  of  the  clothes  of  the  dead, 
and  tied  it  to  a  staff,  and  ran  with  it  along  the  sea-shore,  making  a  signal 
to  the  people  with  that  garment,  until  they  happened  to  look,  and  saw  me 


Sindbad  quitting  the  cavern. 


149 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

upon  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  They  therefore  approached  me  and 
heard  my  voice,  and  sent  to  me  a  boat  in  which  was  a  party  of  men  from 
the  ship:  and  when  they  drew  near  to  me  they  said  to  me, Who  art  thou, 
and  what  is  the  reason  of  thy  sitting  in  this  place,  and  how  didst  thou  ar- 
rive at  this  mountain ;  for  in  our  lives  we  have  never  seen  any  one  who 
hath  come  unto  it  ?  So  I  answered  them,  I  am  a  merchant.  The  vessel 
that  I  was  in  was  wrecked,  and  T  got  upon  a  plank,  together  with  my  things, 
and  God  facilitated  my  landing  at  this  place,  with  my  things,  by  means  of 
my  exertion  and  my  skill,  after  severe  toil.  They  therefore  took  me  with 
them  in  the  boat,  and  embarked  all  that  I  had  taken  from  the  cavern,  tied 
up  in  the  garments  and  grave-clothes,  and  proceeded  with  me  until  they 
took  me  up  into  the  ship,  to  the  master,  and  all  my  things  with  me.  And 
the  master  said  to  me,  O  man,  how  didst  thou  arrive  at  this  place,  which  is 
a  great  mountain  with  a  great  city  behind  it  ?  All  my  life  I  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  navigate  this  sea,  and  to  pass  by  this  mountain ;  but  have  never 
seen  any  thing  there  excepting  the  wild  beasts  and  birds.  I  answered  him, 
I  am  a  merchant.  I  was  in  a  great  ship,  and  it  was  wrecked,  and  all  my 
merchandise,  consisting  of  these  stuffs  and  clothes  which  thou  seest,  was 
submerged  ;  but  1  placed  it  upon  a  great  plank,  one  of  the  planks  of  the 
ship,  and  destiny  and  fortune  aided  me,  so  that  I  landed  upon  this  mount- 
ain, where  I  waited  for  some  one  to  pass  by  and  take  me  with  him.  And 
I  acquainted  them  not  with  the  events  that  had  befallen  me  in  the  city  or 
in  the  cavern  ;  fearing  that  there  might  be  with  them  in  the  ship  some  one 
from  that  city.  Then  I  took  forth  and  presented  to  the  owner  of  the  ship 
a  considerable  portion  of  my  property,  saying  to  him,  O  my  master,  thou 
hast  been  the  means  of  my  escape  from  this  mountain  :  therefore  receive 
from  me  this  as  a  recompense  for  the  favor  which  thou  hast  done  to  me. 
But  he  would  not  accept  it  from  me:  and  he  said  to  me,  We  take  nothing 
from  any  one  ;  and  when  we  behold  a  shipwrecked  person  on  the  shore  of 
the  sea  or  on  an  island,  we  take  him  with  us,  and  feed  him  and  give  him 
to  drink;  and  if  he  be  naked,  we  clothe  him;  and  when  we  arrive  at  the 
port  of  safety,  we  give  him  something  of  our  property  as  a  present,  and 
act  toward  him  with  kindness  and  favor  for  the  sake  of  God,  whose  name 
be  exalted !  So  upon  this  I  offered  up  prayers  for  the  prolongation  of  his 
life. 

We  ceased  not  to  proceed  on  our  voyage  from  island  to  island,  and  from 
sea  to  sea.  I  hoped  to  escape,  and  was  rejoiced  at  my  safety ;  but  every 
time  that  I  reflected  upon  my  abode  in  the  cavern  with  my  wife,  my  rea- 
son left  me.  We  pursued  our  course  until  we  arrived  at  the  Island  of  the 
Bell,  whence  we  proceeded  to  the  Island  of  Kela  in  six  days.  Then  we 
came  to  the  kingdom  of  Kela,  which  is  adjacent  to  India,  and  in  it  are  a 
mine  of  lead,  and  places  where  the  Indian  cane  groweth,  and  excellent 
camphor ;  and  its  king  is  a  king  of  great  dignity,  whose  dominion  extendeth 
over  the  Island  of  the  Bell.  In  it  is  a  city  called  the  City  of  the  Bell,  which 
is  two  days'  journey  in  extent.  At  length,  by  the  providence  of  God,  we 
arrived  iti  safety  at  the  city  of  Balsora,  where  I  landed,  and  remained  a  few 
days ;  after  which  I  came  to  the  city  of  Bagdad,  and  to  my  quarter,  and 
entered  my  house,  met  my  family  and  my  companions,  and  made  inquiries 
respecting  them ;  and  they  rejoiced  at  my  safety,  and  congratulated  me. 
I  stored  all  the  commodities  that  I  had  brought  with  me  in  my  magazines, 
gave  alms  and  presents,  and  clad  the  orphans  and  the  widows :  and  T  be- 


FOURTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOtt. 

came  in  a  state  of  the  utmost  joy  and  happiness,  and  returned  to  my  for- 
mer habit  of  associating  with  familiars,  and  companions,  and  brothers,  and 
indulging  in  sport  and  merriment.  Such  were  the  most  wonderful  of  the 
events  that  happened  to  me  in  the  course  of  the  fourth  voyage.  But,  O 
my  brother  [O  Sindbad  the  Porter],  sup  thou  with  me,  and  observe  thy 
custom  by  coming  to  me  to-morrow,  when  I  will  inform  thee  what  hap- 
pened to  me  and  what  befell  me  during  the  fifth  voyage ;  for  it  was  more 
wonderful  and  extraordinary  than  the  preceding  voyages. 

He  then  gave  orders  to  present  the  porter  with  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold, 
and  the  table  was  spread,  and  the  party  supped  ;  after  which  they  went 
their  ways,  wondering  extremely  ;  each  story  being  more  extraordinary 
than  the  preceding  one.  Sindbad  the  Porter  went  to  his  house,  and  pass- 
ed the  night  in  the  utmost  joy  and  happiness,  and  in  wonder ;  and  when 
the  morning  came,  and  diffused  its  light  and  shone,  he  arose  and  performed 
the  morning  prayers,  and  walked  on  until  he  entered  the  house  of  Sindbad 
the  Sailor,  and  wished  him  good-morning.  And  Sindbad  the  Sailor  wel- 
comed him,  and  ordered  him  to  sit  with  him  until  the  rest  of  his  compan- 
ions came.  And  they  ate  and  drank,  and  enjoyed  themselves  and  were 
merry,  and  conversation  flowed  round  among  them.  Then  Sindbad  the 
Sailor  began  his  narrative,  saying  thus  : 

151 


FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


The  Rocs  sinking  the  ship. 


THE  FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

Know,  O  my  brothers,  that  when  I  returned  from  the  fourth  voyage, 
and  became  immersed  in  sport,  and  merriment,  and  joy,  and  had  forgotten 
all  that  1  had  experienced,  and  what  had  befallen  me.  and  what  I  had  suf- 
fered, by  reason  of  my  excessive  joy  at  the  gain,  and  profit,  and  benefits 
that  I  had  obtained,  my  mind  again  suggested  to  me  to  travel,  and  to  divert 
myself  with  the  sight  of  the  countries  of  other  people,  and  the  islands.  So 
I  arose  and  meditated  upon  that  subject,  and  bought  precious  goods  suited 
for  a  sea-voyage.  I  packed  up  the  bales,  and  departed  from  the  city  of 
Bagdad  to  the  city  of  Balsora;  and  walking  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  I 
saw  a  great,  handsome,  loftv  vessel,  and  it  pleased  me;  wherefore  1  pur- 
152 


FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

chased  it.  Its  apparatus  was  new,  and  I  hired  for  it  a  master  and  sailors, 
over  whom  I  set  my  black  slaves  and  my  pages  as  superintendents,  and  I 
embarked  in  it  my  bales.  And  there  came  to  me  a  company  of  merchants, 
who  also  embarked  their  bales  in  it,  and  paid  me  hire.  We  set  sail  in  the 
utmost  joy  and  happiness,  and  rejoicing  in  the  prospect  of  safety  and  gain, 
and  ceased  not  to  pursue  our  voyage  from  island  to  island,  and  from  sea  to 
sea,  diverting  ourselves  with  viewing  the  islands  and  towns,  and  landing  at 
them,  and  selling  and  buying.  Thus  we  continued  to  do  until  we  arrived 
one  day  at  a  large  island,  destitute  of  inhabitants.  There  was  no  person 
upon  it;  it  was  deserted  and  desolate;  but  on  it  was  an  enormous  white 
dome,  of  great  bulk ;  and  we  landed  to  amuse  ourselves  with  a  sight  of  it, 
and  lo,  it  was  a  great  egg  of  a  roc.  Now  when  the  merchants  had  landed, 
and  were  diverting  themselves  with  viewing  it,  not  knowing  that  it  was  the 
egg  of  a  roc,  they  struck  it  with  stones;  whereupon  it  broke,  and  there 
poured  down  from  it  a  great  quantity  of  liquid,  and  the  j'oung  roc  appeared 
within  it.  So  they  pulled  it  and  took  it  forth  from  the  shell,  and  killed  it, 
and  took  from  it  abundance  of  meat.  I  was  then  in  the  ship,  and  knew  not 
of  it,  and  they  acquainted  me  not  with  that  which  they  did.  But  in  the 
mean  time  one  of  the  passengers  said  to  me,  O  my  master,  arise  and  divert 
thyself  with  the  sight  of  this  egg,  which  we  imagined  to  be  a  dome.  I 
therefore  arose  to  take  a  view  of  it,  and  found  the  merchants  striking  the 
egg.  I  called  out  to  them,  Do  not  this  deed  ;  for  the  roc  will  come  and 
demolish  our  ship,  and  destroy  us  !     But  they  would  not  hear  my  words. 

And  while  they  were  doing  as  above  related,  behold,  the  sun  became 
concealed  from  us,  and  the  day  grew  dark,  and  there  came  over  us  a  cloud 
by  which  the  sky  was  obscured  ;  so  we  raised  our  heads  to  see  what  had 
intervened  between  us  and  the  sun,  and  saw  that  the  wings  of  the  roc  were 
what  veiled  from  us  the  sun's  light,  so  that  the  sky  was  darkened.  And 
when  the  roc  came,  and  beheld  its  egg  broken,  it  cried  out  at  us ;  where- 
upon its  mate,  the  female  bird,  came  to  it,  and  they  flew  in  circles  over  the 
ship,  crying  out  at.  us  with  a  voice  more  vehement  than  thunder.  So  I 
called  out  to  the  master  and  the  sailors,  and  said  to  them,  Push  off  the  ves- 
sel, and  seek  safety  before  we  perish.  The  master  therefore  hastened,  and, 
the  merchants  having  embarked,  he  loosed  the  ship,  and  we  departed  from 
that  island.  And  when  the  rocs  saw  that  we  had  put  forth  to  sea,  they  ab- 
sented themselves  from  us  for  a  while.  We  proceeded,  and  made  speed, 
desiring  to  escape  from  them,  and  to  quit  their  country  ;  but  lo,  they  had 
followed  us,  and  they  now  approached  us,  each  of  them  having  in  its  claws 
a  huge  mass  of  rock  from  a  mountain ;  and  the  male  bird  threw  the  rock 
that  he  had  brought  upon  us.  The  master,  however,  steered  away  the 
ship,  and  the  mass  of  rock  missed  her  by  a  little  space.  It  descended  into 
the  sea  by  the  ship,  and  the  ship  went  up  with  us  and  down,  by  reason  of 
the  mighty  plunging  of  the  rock,  and  we  beheld  the  bottom  of  the  sea  in 
consequence  of  its  vehement  force.  Then  the  mate  of  the  male  roc  threw 
upon  us  the  rock  that  she  had  brought,  which  was  smaller  than  the  former 
one,  and,  as  destiny  had  ordained,  it  fell  upon  the  stern  of  the  ship,  and 
crushed  it,  making  the  rudder  fly  into  twenty  pieces,  and  all  that  was  in  the 
ship  became  submerged  in  the  sea. 

I  strove  to  save  myself,  impelled  by  the  sweetness  of  life,  and  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !)  placed  within  my  reach  one  of  the  planks  of  the  ship; 
so  I  caught  hold  of  it,  and,  having  got  upon  it,  began  to  row  upon  it  with 
r.  *  1 53 


FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

my  feet,  and  the  wind  and  the  waves  helped  me  forward.  The  vessel  had 
sunk  near  an  island  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  and  destiny  cast  me,  by  permis- 
sion of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted !),  to  that  island.  1  therefore  landed 
upon  it ;  but  I  was  at  my  last  breath,  and  in  the  state  of  the  dead,  from  the 
violence  of  the  fatigue,  and  distress,  and  hunger,  and  thirst  that  I  had  suf- 
fered. I  then  threw  myself  down  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea,  and  remain- 
ed lying  there  a  while,  until  my  soul  felt  at  ease,  and  my  heart  was  tran- 
quilizer, when  I  walked  along  the  island,  and  saw  that  it  resembled  one  of 
the  gardens  of  Paradise.  Its  trees  bore  ripe  fruits,  its  rivers  were  flowing, 
and  its  birds  were  warbling  the  praises  of  Him  to  whom  belongeth  might 
and  permanence.  Upon  that  island  was  an  abundance  of  trees  and  fruits, 
and  varieties  of  flowers.  So  I  ate  of  the  fruits  until  I  was  satiated,  and  I 
drank  of  those  rivers  until  I  was  satisfied  with  drink ;  and  I  praised  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  for  this,  and  glorified  Him.  I  then  remained  sit- 
ting upon  the  island  till  evening  came,  and  night  approached  ;  whereupon 
I  arose ;  but  I  was  like  a  slain  man,  by  reason  of  the  fatigue  and  fear  that 
I  had  experienced ;  and  I  heard  not  in  that  island  a  voice,  nor  did  I  see  in 
it  any  person. 

I  slept  there  without  interruption  until  the  morning,  and  then  arose  and 
stood  up,  and  walked  among  the  trees;  and  I  saw  a  streamlet,  by  which 
sat  an  old  man,  a  comely  person,  who  was  clad  from  the  waist  downward 
with  a  covering  made  of  the  leaves  of  trees.  So  I  said  within  myself,  Per- 
haps this  old  man  hath  landed  upon  this  island,  and  is  one  of  the  shipwreck- 
ed persons  with  whom  the  vessel  fell  to  pieces.  I  then  approached  him 
and  saluted  him,  and  he  returned  the  salutation  by  a  sign  without  speaking; 
and  I  said  to  him,  O  sheikh,  what  is  the  reason  of  thy  sitting  in  this  place  ? 
Whereupon  he  shook  his  head,  and  sighed,  and  made  a  sign  to  me  with  his 
hand,  as  though  he  would  say,  Carry  me  upon  thy  neck,  and  transport  me 
from  this  place  to  the  other  side  of  the  streamlet.  I  therefore  said  within 
myself,  I  will  act  kindly  with  this  person,  and  transport  him  to  this  place 
to  which  he  desireth  to  go  :  perhaps  I  shall  obtain  for  it  a  reward  [in  heav- 
en]. Accordingly,  I  advanced  to  him,  and  took  him  upon  my  shoulders, 
and  conveyed  him  to  the  place  that  he  had  indicated  to  me ;  when  I  said  to 
him,  Descend  at  thine  ease.  But  he  descended  not  from  my  shoulders. 
He  had  twisted  his  legs  round  my  neck,  and  I  looked  at  them,  and  I  saw 
that  they  were  like  the  hide  of  the  buffalo  in  blackness  and  roughness.  So 
I  was  frightened  at  him,  and  desired  to  throw  him  down  from  my  shoul- 
ders ;  but  he  pressed  upon  1113"  neck  with  his  feet,  and  squeezed  my  throat, 
so  that  the  world  became  black  before  my  face,  and  I  was  unconscious  of 
my  existence,  falling  upon  the  ground  in  a  fit,  like  one  dead.  He  then 
raised  his  legs,  and  beat  me  upon  my  back  and  my  shoulders  ;  and  I  suffered 
violent  pain ;  wherefore  I  rose  with  him.  He  still  kept  his  seat  upon  my 
shoulders,  and  1  had  become  fatigued  with  bearing  him  ;  and  he  made  a 
sign  to  me  that  I  should  go  in  among  the  trees,  to  the  best  of  the  fruits. 
When  I  disobeyed  him,  he  inflicted  upon  me  with  his  feet  blows  more  vio- 
lent than  those  of  whips ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  direct  me  with  his  hand  to 
every  place  to  which  he  desired  to  go,  and  to  that  place  I  went  with  him. 
If  I  loitered,  or  went  leisurely,  he  beat  me ;  and  I  was  as  a  captive  to 
him.  We  went  into  the  midst  of  the  island,  among  the  trees,  and  he  de- 
scended not  from  my  shoulders  by  night  or  by  day ;  Avhen  he  desired  to 
sleep,  he  would  wind  his  legs  round  my  neck  and  sleep  a  little,  and  then 
154 


FIFTH   VOYAGE  UF  SLNDBAl)  THE  SAILOR. 

A  ^ 


t$£r 


The  Old  Man  of  the  Sea  on  Siudbatl's  shoulders. 

he  would  arise  and  beat  me,  whereupon  I  would  arise  with  him  quickly, 
unable  to  disobey  him,  by  reason  of  the  severity  of  that  which  I  suffered 
from  him  ;  and  1  blamed  myself  for  having  taken  him  up,  and  having  had 
pity  on  him.  I  continued  wilh  him  in  this  condition,  enduring  the  most  vio- 
lenl  fatigue,  and  said  within  myself,  I  did  a  good  act  unto  this  person,  and 
it  hath  become  an  evil  to  myself!  By  Allah,  I  will  never  more  do  good 
unto  any  one  as  long  as  I  live  !  I  begged  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !), 
at  every  period  and  in  every  hour,  that  I  might  die,  in  consequence  of  the 
excessive  fatigue  and  distress  that  I  suffered. 

Thus  I  remained  for  a  length  of  time,  until  I  carried  him  one  day  to  a 
place  in  the  island  where  I  found  an  abundance  of  pumpkins,  manv  of 

l.Sft 


FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

which  were  dry.  Upon  this  I  took  a  large  one  that  was  dry,  and,  having 
opened  its  upper  extremity  and  cleansed  it,  I  went  with  it  to  a  grape  vine, 
and  filled  it  with  the  juice  of  the  grapes.  I  then  stopped  up  the  aperture, 
and  put  it  in  the  sun,  and  left  it  for  some  days,  until  it  had  become  pure  wine ; 
and  every  day  I  used  to  drink  of  it,  to  help  myself  to  endure  the  fatigue 
that  I  underwent  with  that  obstinate  devil;  for  whenever  I  was  intoxicated 
by  it  my  energy  was  strengthened.  So,  seeing  me  one  day  drinking,  he 
made  a  sign  to  me  with  his  hand,  as  though  he  would  say,  What  is  this  ? 
And  I  answered  him,  This  is  something  agreeable,  that  invigorateth  the 
heart  and  dilateth  the  mind.  Then  I  ran  with  him,  and  danced  among  the 
trees ;  I  was  exhilarated  by  intoxication,  and  clapped  my  hands,  and  sang, 
and  was  joyful.  Therefore,  when  he  beheld  me  in  this  state,  he  made  a 
sign  to  me  to  hand  him  the  pumpkin,  that  he  might  drink  from  it;  and  I 
feared  him,  and  gave  it  to  him ;  whereupon  he  drank  what  remained  in  it, 
and  threw  it  upon  the  ground,  and,  being  moved  with  merriment,  began  to 
shake  upon  my  shoulders.  He  then  became  intoxicated,  and  drowned  in 
intoxication  ;  all  his  limbs,  and  the  muscles  of  his  sides,  became  relaxed,  and 
he  began  to  lean  from  side  to  side  upon  my  shoulders.  So  when  I  knew 
that  he  was  drunk,  and  that  he  was  unconscious  of  existence,  I  put  my 
hand  to  his  feet  and  loosed  them  from  my  neck.  Then  ]  stooped  with 
him,  and  sat  down,  and  threw  him  upon  the  ground.  I  scarcely  believed 
that  I  had  liberated  myself  and  escaped  from  the  state  in  which  I  had  been  ; 
but  I  feared  him,  lest  he  should  arise  from  his  intoxication  and  torment  me. 
I  therefore  took  a  great  mass  of  stone  from  among  the  trees,  and,  coming 
to  him,  struck  him  upon  his  head  as  he  lay  asleep,  so  that  his  flesh  be- 


Suidbad  kihiucr  the  Old  Man  of  the  Sea. 


ISfi 


FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

came  mingled  with  his  blood,  and  he  was  killed.     May  no  mercy  of  God 
be  on  him  ! 

After  that  I  walked  about  the  island  with  a  happy  mind,  and  came  to 
the  place  where  I  was  before,  on  the  shore  of  the  sea.  And  I  remained 
upon  that  island,  eating  of  its  fruits,  and  drinking  of  the  water  of  its  rivers, 
for  a  length  of  time,  and  watching  to  see  some  vessel  passing  by  me,  until 
I  was  sitting  one  day  reflecting  upon  the  events  that  had  befallen  me  and 
happened  to  me,  and  I  said  within  myself,  I  wonder  if  God  will  preserve 
me  in  safety,  and  if  I  shall  return  to  my  country,  and  meet  my  family  and 
my  companions.  And  lo,  a  vessel  approached  from  the  midst  of  the  roar- 
ing sea  agitated  with  waves,  and  it  ceased  not  in  its  course  until  it  anchor- 
ed at  that  island  ;  whereupon  the  passengers  landed  there.  So  I  walked 
toward  them  ;  and  when  they  beheld  me,  they  all  quickly  approached  me 
and  assembled  around  me,  inquiring  respecting  my  state,  and  the  cause  of 
my  coming  to  that  island.  I  therefore  acquainted  them  with  my  case,  and 
with  the  events  that  had  befallen  me ;  whereat  they  wondered  extremely. 
And  they  said  to  me,  This  man  who  rode  upon  thy  shoulders  is  called  the 
Old  Man  of  the  Sea,  and  no  one  ever  was  beneath  his  limbs  and  escaped 
from  him  excepting  thee ;  and  praise  be  to  God  for  thy  safety !  Then 
they  brought  me  some  food,  and  I  ate  until  I  was  satisfied  ;  and  they  gave 
me  some  clothing,  which  I  put  on,  covering  myself  decently.  After  this 
they  took  me  with  them  in  the  ship ;  and  when  we  had  proceeded  days 
and  nights,  destiny  drove  us  to  a  city  of  lofty  buildings,  all  the  houses  of 
which  overlooked  the  sea.  That  city  is  called  the  City  of  the  Apes;  and 
when  the  night  cometh,  the  people  who  reside  in  it  go  forth  from  the  doors 
that  open  upon  the  sea,  and,  embarking  in  boats  and  ships,  pass  the  night 
upon  the  sea,  in  their  fear  of  the  apes,  lest  they  should  come  down  upon 
them  in  the  night  from  the  mountains. 

I  landed  to  divert  myself  in  this  city,  and  the  ship  set  sail  without  my 
knowledge.  So  I  repented  of  my  having  landed  there,  remembering  my 
companions,  and  what  had  befallen  them  from  the  apes,  first  and  after- 
ward ;  and  I  sat  weeping  and  mourning.  And  thereupon  a  man  of  the  in- 
habitants of  the  city  advanced  to  me  and  said  to  me,  O  my  master,  it  seem- 
eth  that  thou  art  a  stranger  in  this  country.  I  therefore  replied,  Yes ;  I 
am  a  stranger  and  a  poor  man.  I  was  in  a  ship  which  anchored  at  this 
city,  and  I  landed  from  it  to  divert  myself  in  the  city,  and  returned,  but 
saw  not  the  ship.  And  he  said,  Arise  and  come  with  us,  and  embark  in 
the  boat ;  for  if  thou  remain  in  the  city  during  the  night,  the  apes  will  de- 
stroy thee.  So  I  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  I  arose  immediately,  and  em- 
barked with  the  people  in  the  boat,  and  they  pushed  it  off  from  the  land 
until  they  had  propelled  it  from  the  shore  of  the  sea  to  the  distance  of  a 
mile.  They  passed  the  night,  and  I  with  them;  and  when  the  morning 
came  they  returned  in  the  boat  to  the  city,  and  landed,  and  each  of  them 
went  to  his  occupation.  Such  hath  been  always  their  custom  every  night ; 
and  to  every  one  of  them  who  remaineth  behind  in  the  city  during  the 
night,  the  apes  come,  and  they  destroy  him.  In  the  day  the  apes  go  forth 
from  the  city,  and  eat  of  the  fruits  in  the  gardens,  and  sleep  in  the  mount- 
ains until  the  evening,  when  they  return  to  the  city.  And  this  city  is  in  the 
furthest  parts  of  the  country  of  the  blacks.  Among  the  most  wonderful 
of  tin;  events  that  happened  to  me  in  the  treatment  that  1  met  with  from 
its  inhabitants  was  this.     A  person  of  the  party  with  whom  I  passed  the 

157 


FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

night  said  to  me,  O  my  master,  thou  art  a  stranger  in  this  country.  Art 
thou  skilled  in  any  art  with  which  thou  may  est  occupy  thyself?  And  1 
answered  him,  No,  by  Allah,  O  my  brother;  I  am  acquainted  with  no 
art,  nor  do  I  know  how  to  make  any  thing.  I  was  a  merchant,  a  person 
of  wealth  and  fortune,  and  I  had  a  ship,  my  own  property,  laden  with 
abundant  wealth  and  goods  ;  but  it  was  wrecked  in  the  sea,  and  all  that 
was  in  it  sank,  and  I  escaped  not  drowning  but  by  the  permission  of  God  ; 
for  He  provided  me  with  a  piece  of  a  plank,  upon  which  I  placed  myself; 
and  it  was  the  means  of  my  escape  from  drowning.  And  upon  this  the 
man  arose  and  brought  me  a  cotton  bag,  and  said  to  me,  Take  this  bag,  and 
fill  it  with  pebbles  from  this  city,  and  go  forth  with  a  party  of  the  inhab- 
itants. I  will  associate  thee  with  them,  and  give  them  a  charge  respecting 
thee,  and  do  thou  as  they  shall  do.  Perhaps  thou  wilt  accomplish  that  by 
means  of  which  thou  wilt  be  assisted  to  make  thy  voyage,  and  to  return  to 
thy  country. 

Then  that  man  took  me  and  led  me  forth  from  the  city,  and  I  picked  up 
small  pebbles,  with  which  I  filled  that  bag.  And  lo,  a  party  of  men  came 
out  from  the  city,  and  he  associated  me  with  them,  giving  them  a  charge 
respecting  me,  and  saying  to  them,  This  is  a  stranger;  so  take  him  with 
you,  and  teach  him  the  mode  of  gathering.  Perhaps  he  may  gain  the 
means  of  subsistence,  and  ye  will  obtain  [from  God]  a  reward  and  recom- 
pense. And  they  replied,  We  hear  and  obey.  They  welcomed  me,  and 
took  me  with  them  and  proceeded,  each  of  them  having  a  bag  like  mine, 
filled  with  pebbles  ;  and  we  ceased  not  to  pursue  our  way  until  we  arrived 
at  a  wide  valley,  wherein  were  many  lofty  trees,  which  no  one  could 
climb.  In  that  valley  were  also  many  apes,  which,  when  they  saw  us,  fled 
from  us,  and  ascended  those  trees.  Then  the  men  began  to  pelt  the  apes 
with  the  stones  that  they  had  with  them  in  the  bags  ;  upon  which  the  apes 
began  to  pluck  oft' the  fruits  of  those  trees  and  to  throw  them  at  the  men  ; 
and  I  looked  at  the  fruits  which  the  apes  threw  down,  and  lo,  they  were 
cocoa-nuts.  Therefore,  when  I  beheld  the  party  do  thus,  I  chose  a  great 
tree,  upon  which  were  many  apes,  and,  advancing  to  it,  proceeded  to  pelt 
those  apes  with  stones ;  and  they  broke  oft*  nuts  from  the  tree  and  threw 
them  at  me.  So  I  collected  them  as  the  rest  of  the  party  did,  and  the 
stones  were  not  exhausted  from  my  bag  until  I  had  collected  a  great  quan- 
tity. And  when  the  party  had  ended  this  work,  they  gathered  together  all 
that  was  with  them,  and  each  of  them  carried  oft'  as  many  of  the  nuts  as 
he  could.  We  then  returned  to  the  city  during  the  remainder  of  the  day, 
and  I  went  to  the  man,  my  companion,  who  had  associated  me  with  the 
party,  and  gave  him  all  that  I  had  collected,  thanking  him  for  his  kindness. 
But  he  said  to  me,  Take  these  and  sell  them,  and  make  use  of  the  price. 
And  afterward  he  gave  me  the  key  of  a  place  in  his  house,  and  said  to  me, 
Put  here  these  nuts  that  thou  hast  remaining  with  thee,  and  go  forth  ev- 
ery day  with  the  party  as  thou  hast  done  this  day  ;  and  of  what  thou  bring- 
est,  separate  the  bad  and  sell  them,  and  make  use  of  their  price ;  and  the 
rest  keep  in  thy  possession  in  this  place.  Perhaps  thou  wilt  accumulate 
of  them  what  will  aid  thee  to  make  thy  voyage.  So  I  replied,  Thy  re- 
ward is  due  from  God,  whose  name  be  exalted !  I  did  as  he  told  me,  and 
continued  every  day  to  fill  the  bag  with  stones,  and  to  go  forth  with  the 
people,  and  do  as  they  did.  They  used  to  commend  me,  one  to  another, 
and  to  guide  me  to  the  tree  upon  which  was  abundance  of  fruit;  and  I 
L58 


FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAU  THE  SAILOR. 


1  t*mf^~ 

Gathering  cocoa-nuts. 

ceased  not  to  lead  this  life  for  a  length  of  time,  so  that  I  collected  a  great 
quantity  of  good  cocoa-nuts,  and  1  sold  a  great  quantity,  the  price  of  which 
became  a  large  sum  in  my  possession.  I  bought  every  thing  that  I  saw 
and  that  pleased  me  ;  my  time  was  pleasant,  and  my  good  fortune  increas- 
ed throughout  the  whole  city. 

I  remained  in  this  state  for  some  time  ;  after  which,  as  I  was  standing 
by  the  sea-side,  lo.  a  vessel  arrived  at  that  city  and  cast  anchor  by  the 
shore.  In  it  were  merchants  with  their  goods,  and  they  proceeded  to  sell 
and  buy,  and  to  exchange  their  goods  for  cocoa-nuts  and  other  things.  So 
1  went  to  my  companion,  informed  him  of  the  ship  that  had  arrived,  and 
told  him  that  I  desired  to  make  the  voyage  to  my  country.  And  he  re- 
plied, It  is  thine  to  determine.  I  therefore  bade  him  farewell,  and  thank- 
ed him  for  his  kindness  to  me.  Then  I  went  to  the  ship,  and,  accosting 
the  master,  engaged  with  him  for  my  passage,  and  embarked  in  that  ship 
the  cocoa-nuts  and  other  things  that  I  had  with  me,  after  which  they  set 
sail  that  same  day.  We  continued  our  course  from  island  to  island,  and 
from  sea  to  sea,  and  at.  every  island  at  which  we  cast  anchor  1  sold  some 

159 


FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

of  those  cocoa-nuts,  and  exchanged;  and  God  compensated  me  with  more 
than  I  had  before  possessed  and  lost.  We  passed  by  an  island  in  which 
are  cinnamon  and  pepper,  and  some  persons  told  us  that  they  had  seen 
upon  every  bunch  of  pepper  a  large  leaf  that  shadeth  it  and  wardeth  from 
it  the  rain  whenever  it  raineth  ;  and  when  the  rain  ceaseth  to  fall  upon  it, 
the  leaf  turneth  over  from  the  bunch,  and  hangeth  down  by  its  side.  From 
that  island  1  took  with  me  a  large  quantity  of  pepper  and  cinnamon,  in  ex- 
change for  cocoa-nuts.  We  passed  also  by  the  Island  of  Asirat,  which  is 
that  wherein  is  the  Kamari  aloes-wood.  And  after  that  we  passed  by  an- 
other island,  the  extent  of  which  is  five  days'  journey,  and  in  it  is  the  Sanfi 
aloes-wood,  which  is  superior  to  the  Kamari ;  but  the  inhabitants  of  this 
island  are  worse  in  condition  and  religion  than  the  inhabitants  of  the  island 
of  the  Kamari  aloes-wood  ;  for  they  love  depravity  and  the  drinking  of 
wines,  and  know  not  the  call  to  prayer,  nor  the  act  of  prayer.  And  we 
came  after  that  to  the  pearl  fisheries  ;  whereupon  I  gave  to  the  divers 
some  cocoa-nuts,  and  said  to  them,  Dive  for  my  luck  and  lot.  According- 
ly, they  dived  in  the  bay  there,  and  brought  up  a  great  number  of  large  and 
valuable  pearls  ;  and  they  said  to  me,  O  my  master,  by  Allah,  thy  fortune  is 
good  !  So  I  took  up  into  the  ship  what  they  had  brought  up  for  me,  and 
we  proceeded,  relying  on  the  blessing  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !), 
and  continued  our  voyage  until  we  arrived  at  Balsora,  where  I  landed  and 


B  alsora. 


remained  a  short  time.  1  then  went  thence  to  the  city  of  Bagdad,  enter 
ed  my  quarter,  came  to  my  house,  and  saluted  my  family  and  compan- 
ions, who  congratulated  me  on  my  safety.  I  stored  all  the  goods  and  com- 
modities that  I  had  brought  with  me,  clothed  the  orphans  and  the  widows, 
bestowed  alms  and  gifts,  and  made  presents  to  my  family,  and  my  compan- 
1G0 


FIFTH  VOYAGE  OF  SIN  DEAD  THE  SAILOR. 

ions,  and  my  friends.  God  had  compensated  me  with  four  times  as  much 
as  I  had  lost,  and  1  forgot  what  had  happened  to  me,  and  the  fatigue  that  I 
had  suffered,  by  reason  of  the  abundance  of  my  gain  and  profits,  and  re- 
sumed my  first  habits  of  familiar  intercourse  and  fellowship.  Such  were 
the  most  wonderful  things  that  happened  to  me  in  the  course  of  the  fifth 
voyage  :  but  sup  ye,  and  to-morrow  come  again,  and  I  will  relate  to  you  the 
events  of  the  sixth  voyage ;  for  it  was  more  wonderful  than  this. 

Then  they  spread  the  table,  and  the  party  supped;  and  Avhen  they  had 
finished  their  supper,  Sindbad  the  Sailor  gave  orders  to  present  Sindbad 
the  Porter  with  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  :  so  he  took  them  and  departed, 
wondering  at  this  affair.  He  passed  the  night  in  his  abode,  and  when  the 
morning  came  lie  arose  and  performed  the  morning  prayers  ;  after  which 
he  walked  to  the  house  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor,  went  in  to  him,  and  wished 
him  good-morning;  and  Sindbad  the  Sailor  ordered  him  to  sit.  He  there- 
fore sat  with  him,  and  he  ceased  not  to  converse  with  him  until  the  rest 
of  his  companions  came.  And  they  conversed  together,  and  the  servants 
spread  the  table  ;  and  the  party  ate  and  drank,  and  enjoyed  themselves, 
and  were  merry.  Then  Sindbad  the  Sailor  began  to  relate  to  them  the 
story  of  the  sixth  voyage,  saying  to  them, 


161 


SIXTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOfi. 


-  .  ■  . 


The  wreck. 


THE  SIXTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

Know,  O  my  brothers,  and  my  friends  and  my  companions,  that  when 
I  returned  from  that  fifth  voyage,  and  forgot  what  I  had  suffered,  by  rea- 
son of  sport,  and  merriment,  and  enjoyment,  and  gayety,  and  was  in  a  state 
of  the  utmost  joy  and  happiness,  I  continued  thus  until  I  was  sitting  one 
day  in  exceeding  delight,  and  happiness,  and  gayety;  and  while  I  sat,  lo,  a 
party  of  merchants  came  to  me,  bearing  the  marks  of  travel.  And  upon 
this  I  remembered  the  days  of  my  return  from  travel,  and  my  joy  at  meet- 
ing my  family,  and  companions,  and  friends,  and  at  entering  my  country; 
and  my  soul  longed  again  for  travel  and  commerce.  So  I  determined  to 
set  forth.  I  bought  for  myself  precious,  sumptuous  goods,  suitable  for  the 
sea,  packed  up  my  bales,  and  went  from  the  city  of  Bagdad  to  the  city  of 
Balsora,  where  I  beheld  a  large  vessel  in  which  were  merchants  and  great 
men,  and  with  them  were  precious  goods.  I  therefore  embarked  my  bales 
with  them  in  this  ship,  and  we  departed  in  safety  from  the  city  of  Balsora. 
We  continued  our  voyage  from  place  to  place,  and  from  city  to  city,  sell- 
ing and  buying,  and  diverting  ourselves  with  viewing  different  countries. 
162  ' 


SIXTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

Fortune  and  the  voyage  were  pleasant  to  us,  and  we  gained  our  subsist- 
ence, until  we  were  proceeding  one  day,  and  lo,  the  master  of  the  ship 
vociferated  and  called  out,  threw  down  his  turban,  slapped  his  face,  plucked 
his  beard,  and  fell  down  in  the  hold  of  the  ship  by  reason  of  the  violence 
of  his  grief  and  rage.  So  all  the  merchants  and  other  passengers  came  to- 
gether to  him  and  said  to  him,  O  master,  what  is  the  matter  ?  And  he  an- 
swered them,  Know,  O  company,  that  wo  have  wandered  from  our  course, 
having  passed  forth  from  the  sea  in  which  we  were,  and  entered  a  sea  of 
which  we  know  not  the  routes ;  and  if  God  appoint  not  for  us  some  means 
of  effecting  our  escape  from  this  sea,  we  all  perish  ;  therefore,  pray  to  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  that  He  may  save  us  from  this  case.  Then  the 
master  arose  and  ascended  the  mast,  and  desired  to  loose  the  sails  ;  but  the 
wind  became  violent  upon  the  ship,  and  drove  her  back,  and  her  rudder 
broke  near  a  lofty  mountain;  whereupon  the  master  descended  from  the 
mast,  and  said,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the 
Great !  No  one  is  able  to  prevent  what  is  predestined  !  By  Allah,  we 
have  fallen  into  a  great  peril,  and  there  remaineth  to  us  no  way  of  safety  or 
escape  from  it !  So  all  the  passengers  wept  for  themselves  :  they  bade 
one  another  farewell,  because  of  the  expiration  of  their  lives,  and  their  hope 
was  cut  off.  The  vessel  drove  upon  that  mountain  and  went  to  pieces ; 
its  planks  were  scattered,  and  all  that  was  in  it  was  submerged  ;  the  mer- 
chants fell  into  the  sea,  and  some  of  them  were  drowned,  and  some  caught 
hold  upon  that  mountain  and  landed  upon  it. 

I  was  of  the  number  of  those  who  landed  upon  the  mountain;  and  lo, 
within  it  was  a  large  island.  By  it  were  many  vessels  broken  in  pieces,  and 
upon  it  were  numerous  goods,  on  the  shore  of  the  sea,  of  the  things  thrown 
up  by  the  sea  from  the  ships  that  had  been  wrecked,  and  the  passengers 
of  which  had  been  drowned.  Upon  it  was  an  abundance,  that  confounded 
the  reason  and  the  mind,  of  commodities  and  wealth  that  the  sea  cast  upon 
its  shores.  I  ascended  to  the  upper  part  of  the  island  and  walked  about  it, 
and  I  beheld  in  the  midst  of  it  a  stream  of  sweet  water,  flowing  forth  from 
beneath  the  nearest  part  of  the  mountain,  and  entering  at  the  furthest  part 
of  it,  on  the  opposite  side  [of  the  valley].  Then  all  the  other  passengers 
went  over  that  mountain  to  [the  interior  of]  the  island,  and  dispersed  them- 
selves about  it,  and  their  reason  was  confounded  at  that  which  they  beheld. 
They  became  like  madmen  by  reason  of  what  they  saw  upon  the  island, 
of  commodities  and  wealth  lying  on  the  shore  of  the  sea.  I  beheld,  also, 
in  the  midst  of  the  above-mentioned  stream,  an  abundance  of  various  kinds 
of  jewels  and  minerals,  with  jacinths  and  large  pearls,  suitable  to  kings. 
They  were  like  gravel  in  the  channels  of  the  water  which  flowed  through 
the  fields ;  and  all  the  bed  of  that  stream  glittered  by  reason  of  the  great 
number  of  minerals  and  other  things  that  it  contained.  We  likewise  saw 
on  that  island  an  abundance  of  the  best  kind  of  Sanfi  aloes-wood  and  Ka- 
niari  aloes-wood.  And  in  that  island  is  a  gushing  spring  of  crude  amber- 
gris, which  floweth  like  wax  over  the  side  of  that  spring  through  the  vio- 
lence of  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  spreadeth  upon  the  sea-shore,  and  the 
monsters  of  the  deep  come  up  from  the  sea  and  swidlow  it,  and  descend 
with  it  into  the  sea ;  but  it  becometh  hot  in  their  stomachs,  therefore  they 
eject  it  from  their  mouths  into  the  sea,  and  it  congealeth  on  the  surface  of 
the  water.  Upon  this  its  color  and  its  qualities  become  changed,  and  the 
waves  cast  it  up  on  th«  shore  of  the  sea:   so  the  travelers  and  merchants 


SIXTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

who  know  it  take  it  and  sell  it.  But  as  to  the  crude  ambergris  that  is  not 
swallowed,  it  floweth  over  the  side  of  that  fountain,  and  congealeth  upon 
the  ground;  and  when  the  sun  shineth  upon  it,  it  melteth,  and  from  it  the 
odor  of  the  whole  of  that  valley  becometh  like  the  odor  of  musk.  Then 
when  the  sun  withdraweth  from  it,  it  congealeth  again.  The  place  wherein 
is  this  crude  ambergris  no  one  can  enter ;  no  one  can  gain  access  to  it ;  for 
the  mountain  surroundeth  that  island. 

We  continued  to  wander  about  the  island,  diverting  ourselves  with  the 
view  of  the  good  things  which  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  had  created 
upon  it,  and  perplexed  at  our  case,  and  at  the  things  that  we  beheld,  and 
affected  with  violent  fear.  We  had  collected  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea  a 
■small  quantity  of  provisions,  and  we  used  it  sparingly,  eating  of  it  every  day 
or  two  days,  only  one  meal,  dreading  the  exhaustion  of  our  stock,  and  our 
dying  in  sorrow,  from  the  violence  of  hunger  and  fear.  Each  one  of  us  that 
died  we  washed,  and  shrouded  in  some  of  the  clothes  and  linen  which  the 
sea  cast  upon  the  shore  of  the  island  ;  and  thus  we  did  until  a  great  num- 
ber of  us  had  died,  and  there  remained  of  us  but  a  small  party,  who  were 
weakened  by  a  colic  occasioned  by  the  sea.  After  this  we  remained  a 
short  period,  and  all  my  associates  and  companions  died,  one  after  another, 
and  each  of  them  who  died  we  buried.  Then  I  was  alone  on  that  island, 
and  there  remained  with  me  but  little  of  the  provisions,  after  there  had 
been  much.  So  I  wept  for  myself,  and  said,  Would  that  I  had  died  before 
my  companions,  and  that  they  had  washed  me  and  buried  me  !  There  is 
no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  And  I  remained 
a  short  time  longer ;  after  which  I  arose  and  dug  for  myself  a  deep  grave 
on  the  shore  of  the  island,  and  said  within  myself,  When  I  fall  sick  and 
know  that  death  hath  come  to  me,  I  will  lie  down  in  this  grave  and  die  in 
it,  and  the  wind  will  blow  the  sand  upon  me  and  cover  me ;  so  I  shall  be- 
come buried  in  it.  I  blamed  myself  for  my  little  sense,  and  my  going  forth 
from  my  country  and  my  city,  and  my  voyaging  to  foreign  countries,  after 
what  I  had  suffered  in  the  first  instance,  and  the  second,  and  the  third,  and 
the  fourth,  and  the  fifth  ;  and  when  I  had  not  performed  one  of  my  voyages 
without  suffering  in  it  horrors  and  distresses  more  troublesome  and  more 
difficult  than  the  horrors  preceding.  I  believed  not  that  I  could  escape  and 
save  myself,  and  repented  of  undertaking  sea-voyages,  and  of  my  returning 
to  this  life  when  I  was  not  in  want  of  wealth,  but  had  abundance,  so  that  I 
could  not  consume  what  I  had,  nor  spend  half  of  it  during  the  rest  of  my 
life  ;  having  enough  for  me,  and  more  than  enough. 

Then  I  meditated  in  my  mind,  and  said,  This  river  must  have  a  begin- 
ning and  an  end,  and  it  must  have  a  place  of  egress  into  an  inhabited  coun- 
try. The  right  plan,  in  my  opinion,  will  be  for  me  to  construct  for  myself 
a  small  raft,  of  sufficient  size  for  me  to  sit  upon  it,  and  I  will  go  down  and 
cast  it  upon  this  river,  and  depart  on  it.  If  I  find  safety,  I  am  safe,  and 
escape,  by  permission  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !) ;  and  if  I  find  no 
way  of  saving  myself,  it  will  be  better  for  me  to  die  in  this  river  than  in  this 
place.  And  I  sighed  for  myself.  Then  I  arose  and  went,  and  collected 
pieces  of  wood  that  were  upon  that  island,  of  Sanfi  and  Kamari  aloes- wood, 
and  bound  them  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea  with  some  of  the  ropes  of  the 
ships  that  had  been  wrecked ;  and  I  brought  some  straight  planks,  of  the 
planks  of  the  ships,  and  placed  them  upon  those  pieces  of  wood.  I  made 
the  raft  to  suit  the  width  of  the  river,  less  wide  than  the  latter,  and  bound 
164 


SIXTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

it  well  and  firmly ;  and,  having  taken  with  me  some  of  those  minerals,  and 
jewels,  and  goods,  and  of  the  large  pearls  that  were  like  gravel,  as  well  as 
other  things  that  were  upon  the  island,  and  some  of  the  crude,  pure,  ex- 
cellent ambergris,  I  put  them  upon  that  raft,  with  all  that  I  had  collected 
upon  the  island,  and  took  with  me  what  remained  of  the  provisions.  I 
then  launched  the  raft  upon  the  river,  made  for  it  two  pieces  of  wood 
like  oars,  and  acted  in  accordance  with  the  following  saying  of  one  of  the 
poets  : 

Depart  from  a  place  wherein  is  oppression,  and  leave  the  house  to  tell  its  builder's 

fate  ; 
For  thou  wilt  find,  for  the  land  that  thou  quittest,  another  ;  but  no  soul  wilt  thou 

find  to  replace  thine  own. 
Grieve  not  on  account  of  nocturnal  calamities  ;  since  every  affliction  will  have  its 

end ; 
And  he  whose  death  is  decreed  to  take  place  in  one  land  will  not  die  in  any  land 

but  that. 
Send  not  thy  messenger  on  an  errand  of  importance ;  for  the  soul  hath  no  faithful 

minister  save  itself. 

I  departed  upon  the  raft  along  the  river,  meditating  upon  what  might  be 
the  result  of  my  case,  and  proceeded  to  the  place  where  the  river  entered 
beneath  the  mountain.  I  propelled  the  raft  into  that  place,  and  became  in 
intense  darkness  within  it,  and  the  raft  continued  to  carry  me  in  with  the 
current  to  a  narrow  place  beneath  the  mountain,  where  the  sides  of  the 
raft  rubbed  against  the  sides  of  the  channel  of  the  river,  and  my  head  rub- 
bed against  the  roof  of  the  channel.  I  was  unable  to  return  thence,  and  I 
blamed  myself  for  that  which  I  had  done,  and  said,  If  this  place  become 
narrower  to  the  raft,  it  will  scarcely  pass  through  it,  and  it  can  not  return: 
so  I  shall  perish  in  this  place  in  sorrow,  inevitably  !  I  threw  myself  upon 
my  face  on  the  raft,  on  account  of  the  narrowness  of  the  channel  of  the 
river,  and  ceased  not  to  proceed,  without  knowing  night  from  day,  by  rea- 
son of  the  darkness  in  which  I  was  involved  beneath  that  mountain,  to- 
gether'with  my  terror  and  fear  for  myself  lest  I  should  perish.  In  this 
state  I  continued  my  course  along  the  river,  which  sometimes  widened  and 
at  other  times  contracted  ;  but  the  intensity  of  the  darkness  wearied  me 
excessively,  and  slumber  overcame  me  in  consequence  of  the  violence  of 
my  distress.  So  I  lay  upon  my  face  on  the  raft,  which  ceased  not  to 
bear  me  along  while  I  slept,  and  knew  not  whether  the  time  was  long  or 
short. 

At  length  I  awoke,  and  found  myself  in  the  light ;  and,  opening  my  eyes, 
I  beheld  an  extensive  tract,  and  the  raft  tied  to  the  shore  of  an  island,  and 
around  me  a  company  of  Indians  and  [people  like]  Abyssinians.  When 
they  saw  that  I  had  arisen,  they  rose  and  came  to  me,  and  spoke  to  me  in 
their  language  ;  but  I  knew  not  what  they  said,  and  imagined  that  it  was  a 
dream,  and  that  this  occurred  in  sleep,  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  my  dis- 
tress and  vexation.  And  when  they  spoke  to  me  and  I  understood  not  their 
speech,  and  returned  them  not  an  answer,  a  man  among  them  advanced  to 
me,  and  said  to  me.  in  the  Arabic  language,  Peace  be  on  thee,  O  our 
brother!  What  art  thou,  and  whence  hast  thou  come,  and  what  is  the 
cause  of  thy  coming  to  this  place  ?  We  are  people  of  the  sown  lands  and 
the  fields,  and  we  came  to  irrigate  our  fields  and  our  sown  lands,  and  found 
thee  asleep  on  the  raft:  so  we  laid  hold  npon  it  and  tied  it  here  by  us, 
waiting  for  thee  to  arise  at  thy  leisure.     Tell  us,  then,  what  is  the  cause 

1G5 


SIXTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


Sindbad  on  the  raft. 


of  tby  coming  to  this  place.  I  replied,  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah,  O  my  mas- 
ter, that  thou  bring  me  some  food;  for  I  am  hungry  ;  and  after  that,  ask 
of  me  concerning  what  thou  wilt.  And  thereupon  he  hastened,  and  brought 
me  food,  and  I  ate  until  I  was  satiated  and  was  at  ease,  and  my  fear  sub- 
sided, my  satiety  was  abundant,  and  my  soul  returned  to  me.  I  therefore 
praised  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  for  all  that  had  occurred,  rejoicing 
at  my  having  come  forth  from  that  river,  and  having  come  to  these  people  ; 
and  I  acquainted  them  with  all  that  had  happened  to  me  from  beginning  to 
end,  and  with  what  I  had  experienced  upon  that  river,  and  its  narrowness. 
They  then  talked  together,  and  said,  We  must  take  him  with  us  and  pre- 
sent him  to  our  king,  that  he  may  acquaint  him  with  what  hath  happened 
to  him.  Accordingly,  they  took  me  with  them,  and  conveyed  with  me  the 
raft,  together  with  all  that  was  upon  it,  of  riches  and  goods,  and  jewels  and 
minerals,  and  ornaments  of  gold,  and  they  took  me  in  to  their  king,  who  was 
the  King  of  Serendib,  and  acquainted  him  with  what  had  happened; 
whereupon  he  saluted  me  and  welcomed  me,  and  asked  me  respecting  my 
state,  and  respecting  the  events  that  had  happened  to  me.  I  therefore  ac- 
quainted him  with  all  my  story,  and  what  I  had  experienced,  from  first  to 
last;  and  the  king  wondered  at  this  narrative  extremely,  and  congratulated 
me  on  my  safety.  Then  I  arose  and  took  forth  from  the  raft  a  quantity  of 
the  minerals  and  jewels,  and  aloes-wood  and  crude  ambergris,  and  gave  it 
1G6 


SIXTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

to  the  king;  and  he  accepted  it  from  me,  and  treated  me  with  exceeding 
honor,  lodging  me  in  a  place  in  his  abode.  I  associated  with  the  best  and 
the  greatest  of  the  people,  who  paid  me  great  respect,  and  1  quitted  not  the 
abode  of  the  kin^. 

The  Island  of  Serendib  is  under  the  equinoctial  line  ;  its  night  being  al- 
ways twelve  hours,  and  its  day  also  twelve  hours.  Its  length  is  eighty 
leagues,  and  its  breadth  thirty  ;  and  it  extendeth  largely  between  a  lofty 
mountain  and  a  deep  valley.  This  mountain  is  seen  from  a  distance  of 
three  days,  and  it  containeth  varieties  of  jacinths,  and  different  kinds  of 
minerals  ;  and  trees  of  all  sorts  of  spices,  and  its  surface  is  covered  with 
emery,  wherewith  jewels  are  cut  into  shape ;  in  its  rivers  also  are  diamonds, 
and  pearls  are  in  its  valleys.  I  ascended  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain, 
and  diverted  m}rself  with  a  view  of  its  wonders,  which  are  not  to  be  de- 
scribed ;  and  afterward  I  returned  to  the  king,  and  begged  him  to  give  me 
permission  to  return  to  my  country.  He  gave  me  permission  after  great 
pressing,  and  bestowed  upon  me  an  abundant  present  from  his  treasuries  ; 
and  he  gave  me  a  present  and  a  sealed  letter,  saying  to  me,  Convey  these 
to  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alrashid,  and  give  him  many  salutations  from  us.  So 
I  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  Then  lie  wrote  for  me  a  letter  on  skin  of  the 
khavi,  which  is  finer  than  parchment,  of  a  yellowish  color ;  and  the  writing 
was  in  ultramarine.  And  the  form  of  what  be  wrote  to  the  caliph  was  this  : 
Peace  be  on  thee,  from  the  King  of  India,  before  whom  are  a  thousand 
elephants,  and  on  the  battlements  of  whose  palace  are  a  thousand  jewels. 
To  proceed  :  we  have  sent  to  thee  a  trifling  present;  accept  it,  then,  from 
us.  Thou  art  to  us  a  brother  and  sincere  friend,  and  the  affection  for 
you  that  is  in  our  hearts  is  great;  therefore,  favor  us  by  a  reply.  The 
present  is  not  suited  to  thy  dignity  ;  but  we  beg  of  thee,  O  brother,  to  ac- 
cept it  graciously.  And  peace  be  on  thee  !  And  the  present  was  a  cup 
of  ruby,  a  span  high,  the  inside  of  which  was  embellished  with  precious 
pearls  ;  and  a  bed  covered  with  the  skin  of  the  serpent  that  swalloweth  the 
elephant,  which  skin  hath  spots,  each  like  a  piece  of  gold,  and  whosoever 
sitteth  upon  it  never  becometh  diseased  ;  and  a  hundred  thousand  mith- 
kals  of  Indian  aloes-wood ;  and  a  slave  girl  like  the  shining  full  moon. 
Then  he  bade  me  farewell,  and  gave  a  charge  respecting  me  to  the  mer- 
chants and  the  master  of  the  ship. 

So  I  departed  thence,  and  we  continued  our  voyage  from  island  to  island, 
and  from  country  to  country,  until  we  arrived  at  Bagdad,  whereupon  I 
entered  my  house,  and  met  my  family  and  my  brethren  ;  after  which  I 
took  the  present,  with  a  token  of  service  from  myself  for  the  caliph.  On 
entering  his  presence,  I  kissed  his  hand,  and  placed  before  him  the  whole, 
giving  him  the  letter ;  and  he  read  it,  and  took  the  present,  with  which  he 
was  greatly  rejoiced,  and  he  treated  me  with  the  utmost  honor.  He  then 
said  to  me,  O  Sindbad,  is  that  true  which  this  king  hath  stated  in  his  letter  ? 
And  I  kissed  the  ground,  and  answered,  O  my  lord,  I  witnessed  in  his 
kingdom  much  more  than  ho  hath  mentioned  in  his  letter.  On  the  day  of 
his  public  appearance,  a  throne  is  set  for  him  upon  a  huge  elephant,  eleven 
cubits  high,  and  he  sitteth  upon  it,  having  with  him  his  chief  officers,  and 
pages,  and  guests,  standing  in  two  ranks,  on  his  right  and  on  his  left.  At 
his  head  Standeth  a  man  having  in  his  hand  a  golden  javelin,  and  behind  him 
a  man  in  whose  hand  is  a  great  mace  of  gold,  at  the  top  of  which  is  an  em- 
erald a  spun  in  length,  and  of  the  thickness  of  a  thumb.     And  when  he 

167 


SIXTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


mounteth,  there  mount  at  the  same  time  with  him  a  thousand  horsemen 
clad  in  gold  and  silk;  and  as  the  king  proceedeth,  a  man  before  him  pro- 
claimeth,  saying,  This  is  the  king  of  great  dignity,  of  high  authority  !  And 
he  proceedeth  to  repeat  his  praises  in  terms  that  I  remember  not,  at  the 
end  of  his  panegyric  saying,  This  is  the  king,  the  owner  of  the  crown  the 
like  of  which  neither  Solomon  nor  the  Maharaja  possessed !  Then  he 
is  silent;  and  one  behind  him  proclaimeth,  saying,  He  will  die  !  Again  I 
say,  He  will  die  !  Again  I  say,  He  will  die  !  And  the  other  saith,  Ex- 
tolled be  the  perfection  of  the  Living,  who  dieth  not !  Moreover,  by  reason 
of  his  justice,  and  good  government,  and  intelligence,  there  is  no  cadi  in  his 
city ;  and  all  the  people  of  his  country  distinguish  the  truth  from  falsity. 
And  the  caliph  wondered  at  my  words,  and  said,  How  great  is  this  king! 
His  letter  hath  shown  me  this ;  and  as  to  the  greatness  of  his  dominion, 
thou  hast  told  us  what  thou  hast  witnessed.  By  Allah,  he  hath  been  en- 
dowed with  wisdom  and  dominion  !  Then  the  caliph  conferred  favors  upon 
me,  and  commanded  me  to  depart  to  my  abode.  So  I  came  to  my  house, 
and  gave  the  legal  and  other  alms,  and  continued  to  live  in  the  same  pleasant 
circumstances  as  at  present.  I  forgot  the  arduous  troubles  that  I  had  ex- 
perienced, discarded  from  my  heart  the  anxieties  of  travel,  rejected  from  my 
mind  distress,  and  betook  myself  to  eating  and  drinking,  and  pleasures  and  joy. 
And  when  Sindbad  the  Sailor  had  finished  his  story,  every  one  who  was 
present  wondered  at  the  events  that  had  happened  to  him.  He  then 
ordered  his  treasurer  to  give  to  Sindbad  the  Porter  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold, 
and  commanded  him  to  depart,  and  to  return  the  next  day  with  the  boon- 
companions  to  hear  his  seventh  story.  So  the  porter  went  away  happy 
to  his  abode,  and  on  the  morrow  he  was  present  with  all  the  boon-com- 
panions ;  and  they  sat  according  to  their  usual  custom,  and  employed  them- 
selves in  eating,  and  drinking,  and  enjoyment  until  the  end  of  the  day,  when 
Sindbad  the  Sailor  made  a  sign  to  them  that  they  should  hear  his  seventh 
story,  and  said, 


IG8 


SEVENTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


. 


- 


Attack  on  the  ship  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor. 


THE  SEVENTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

When  I  relinquished  voyaging,  and  the  affairs  of  commerce,  I  said  within 
myself,  What  hath  happened  to  me  sufficeth  me.     And  my  time  was  spent 
in  joy  aud  pleasures.     But  while  I  was  sitting  one  day,  the  door  wn 
knocked  :   so  the  door-keeper  opened,  and  a  page  of  the  caliph  entered  and 
said,  The   caliph  summoneth  thee.      I    therefore  went  with   him  to  his 
majesty,  and  kissed  the  ground  before  him  and  saluted  him,  whereupon  be 
welcomed  me  and  treated  me  with  honor;  and  he  said  to  me,  O  Sindbad, 
I  have  an  affair  for  thee  to  perform.     Wilt  thou  do  it  1      So  I  kissed  his  ham' 
and  said  to  him,  O  my  lord,  what  affair  hath  the  master  for  the  slave  to 
perform  ?     And  he  answered  me,  I  desire  that  thou  go  to  the  King  of  Sc 
reudib,  and  convey  to  him  our  letter  and  our  present;  for  he  sent  to  us  a 
present  and  a  letter.     And  I  trembled  thereat,  and  replied,  By  Allah  the 
Great,  O  my  lord,  I  have  taken  a  hatred  to  voyaging;  and  when  a  voyag 
on  the  sea,  or  any  other  travel,  is  mentioned  to  me,  mv  joints  tremble,  iu 

Vol.  II.— II  1G9 


SEVENTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

consequence  of  what  hath  befallen  me  and  what  I  have  experienced  of 
troubles  and  horrors,  and  I  have  no  desire  for  that  whatever.  Moreover, 
I  have  bound  myself  by  an  oath  not  to  go  forth  from  Bagdad.  Then  I  in- 
formed the  caliph  of  all  that  had  befallen  me  from  first  to  last;  and  he 
wondered  exceedingly,  and  said,  By  Allah  the  Great,  O  Sindbad,  it  hath  not 
been  heard  from  times  of  old  that  such  events  have  befallen  any  one  as 
have  befallen  thee,  and  it  is  incumbent  on  thee  that  thou  never  mention  the 
subject  of  travel.  But  for  my  sake  thou  wilt  go  this  time,  and  convey  our 
present  and  our  letter  to  the  King  of  Serendib  ;  and  thou  shalt  return  quickly, 
if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  that  we  may  no  longer 
have  a  debt  of  favor  and  courtesy  to  the  king.  So  I  replied  that  I  heard 
and  obeyed,  being  unable  to  oppose  his  command.  He  then  gave  me  the 
present  and  the  letter,  with  money  for  my  expenses,  and  I  kissed  his  hand 
and  departed  from  him. 

I  went  from  Bagdad  to  the  sea,  and  embarked  in  a  ship,  and  we  pro- 
ceeded days  and  nights,  by  the  aid  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  until 
we  arrived  at  the  Island  of  Serendib,  and  with  us  were  many  merchants. 
As  soon  as  we  arrived  we  landed  at  the  city,  and  I  took  the  present  and 
the  letter,  and  went  in  with  them  to  the  king,  and  kissed  the  ground  be- 
fore him.  And  when  he  saw  me,  he  said,  A  friendly  welcome  to  thee,  O 
Sindbad  !  By  Allah  the  Great,  we  have  longed  to  see  thee,  and  praise  be 
to  God  who  hath  shown  us  thy  face  a  second  time  !  Then  he  took  me  by 
my  hand  and  seated  me  by  his  side,  welcoming  me,  and  treating  me  with 
familiar  kindness,  and  he  rejoiced  greatly.  He  began  to  converse  with  me, 
and  addressed  me  with  courtesy,  and  said,  What  was  the  cause  of  thy 
coming  to  us,  O  Sindbad  ?  So  I  kissed  his  hand,  and  thanked  him,  and  an- 
swered him,  O  my  lord,  I  have  brought  thee  a  present  and  a  letter  from 
my  master  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alrashid.  I  then  offered  to  him  the  present 
and  the  letter,  and  he  read  the  letter  and  rejoiced  at  it  greatly.  The 
present  was  a  horse  worth  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  with  its  saddle 
adorned  with  gold  set  with  jewels  ;  and  a  book,  and  a  sumptuous  dress,  and 
a  hundred  different  kinds  of  white  cloths  of  Egypt,  and  silks  of  Suez,  and 
Cufa,  and  Alexandria,  and  Greek  carpets,  and  a  hundred  menns  of  silks  and 
flax,  and  a  wonderful,  extraordinary  cup  of  crystal,  in  the  midst  of  which 
was  represented  the  figure  of  a  lion  with  a  man  kneeling  before  him  and 
having  drawn  an  arrow  in  his  bow  with  his  utmost  force,  and  also  the  table 
of  Solomon  the  son  of  David,  on  whom  be  peace  !  And  the  contents  of 
the  1 -tter  were  as  follows :  Peace  from  the  King  Alrashid,  strengthened 
by  liil  (who  hath  given  to  him  and  to  his  ancestors  the  rank  of  the  noble, 
and  wide-spread  glory),  on  the  fortunate  sultan.  To  proceed  :  thy  letter 
hath  reached  us,  and  we  rejoiced  at  it ;  and  we  have  sent  the  book  [entitled] 
the  Delight  of  the  Intelligent,  and  the  Rare  Present  for  Friends  ;  together 
with  varieties  of  royal  rarities;  therefore  do  us  the  favor  to  accept  them; 
and  peace  be  on  thee!  Then  the  king  conferred  upon  me  abundant  pres- 
ents, and  treated  me  with  the  utmost  honor ;  so  I  prayed  for  him,  and 
thanked  him  for  his  beneficence;  and  some  days  after  that,  I  begged  his 
permission  to  depart;  but  he  permitted  me  not  save  after  great  pressing. 
Thereupon  I  took  leave  of  him,  and  went  forth  from  his  city,  with  mer- 
chants and  other  companions,  to  return  to  my  country,  without  any  desire 
for  travel  or  commerce. 

We  continued  our  voyage  until  we  had  passed  many  islands;  but  in  the 
170 


SEVENTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 

midst  of  our  course  over  the  sea,  there  appeared  to  us  a  number  of  boats, 
which  surrounded  us,  and  in  them  were  men  like  devils,  having  in  their 
hands  swords  and  daggers,  and  equipped  with  coats  of  mail,  and  arms  and 
bows.  They  smote  us,  and  wounded  and  slew  those  of  us  who  opposed 
them,  and,  having  taken  the  ship,  with  its  contents,  conveyed  us  to  an  island, 
where  they  sold  us  as  slaves,  for  the  smallest  price.  But  a  rich  man  pur- 
chased me  and  took  me  into  his  house,  fed  me  and  gave  me  to  drink,  and 
clad  me  and  treated  me  in  a  friendly  manner.  So  my  soul  was  tranquil- 
ized,  and  I  rested  a  little.  Then,  one  day,  he  said  to  me,  Dost  thou  not 
know  any  ait  or  trade  ?  I  answered  him,  O  my  lord,  I  am  a  merchant :  I 
know  nothing  but  traffic.  And  he  said,  Dost  thou  know  the  art  of  shooting 
with  the  bow  and  arrow?  Yes,  I  answered,  I  know  that.  And  there- 
upon he  brought  me  a  bow  and  arrows,  and  mounted  me  behind  him  upon 
an  elephant :  then  he  departed  at  the  close  of  night,  and,  conveying  me 
among  some  great  trees,  came  to  a  lofty  and  firm  tree,  upon  which  he  made 
me  climb;  and  he  gave  me  the  bow  and  arrows,  saying  to  me,  Sit  here 
now,  and  when  the  elephants  come  in  the  daytime  to  this  place,  shoot  at 
them  with  the  arrows :  perhaps  thou  wilt  strike  one  of  them  ;  and  if  one 
of  them  fall,  come  to  me  and  inform  me.  He  then  left  me  and  departed ; 
and  I  was  terrified  and  frightened.  I  remained  concealed  in  the  tree  until 
the  sun  rose;  when  the  elephants  came  forth  wandering  about  among  the 
trees,  and  I  ceased  not  to  discharge  my  arrows  till  I  shot  one  of  them.  I 
therefore  went  in  the  evening  to  my  master,  and  informed  him  ;  and  he 
M'as  delighted  with  me,  and  treated  me  with  honor;  and  he  went  and  re- 
moved the  slain  elephant. 

In  this  manner  I  continued,  every  day  shootiug  one,  and  my  master 
coming  and  removing  it,  until,  one  day,  I  was  sitting  in  the  tree,  concealed, 
and  suddenly  elephants  innumerable  came  forth,  and  I  heard  the  sounds 
of  their  roaring  and  growling,  which  was  such  that  I  imagined  the  earth 
trembled  beneath  them.  They  all  surrounded  the  tree  in  which  I  was 
sitting,  their  circuit  being  fifty  cubits,  and  a  huge  elephant,  enormous'y 
great,  advanced  and  came  to  the  tree,  and,  having  wound  his  trunk  around 
it,  pulled  it  up  by  the  roots,  and  cast  it  upon  the  ground.  I  fell  down  sense- 
less among  the  elephants,  and  the  great  elephant,  approaching  me,  wound 
his  trunk  around  me,  raised  me  on  his  back,  and  went  away  with  me,  the 
other  elephants  accompanying.  And  he  ceased  not  to  proceed  with  me, 
while  I  was  absent  from  the  world,  until  he  had  taken  me  into  a  place  and 
thrown  me  from  his  back,  when  he  departed,  and  the  other  elephants  fol- 
lowed him.  So  I  rested  a  little,  and  my  terror  subsided  ;  and  I  found  my- 
self among  the  bones  of  elephants.  I  knew  therefore  that  this  was  the 
burial-place  of  the  elephants,  and  that  that  elephant  had  conducted  me  to  it 
on  account  of  the  teeth. 

I  then  arose,  and  journeyed  a  day  and  a  night  until  I  arrived  at  the  house 
of  my  master,  who  saw  me  changed  in  complexion  by  fright  and  hunger. 
And  he  was  rejoiced  at  my  return,  and  said,  By  Allah,  thou  hast  pained 
our  heart;  for  I  went  and  found  the  tree  torn  up,  and  I  imagined  that  the 
elephants  had  destroyed  thee.  Tell  me,  then,  how  it  happened  with  thee. 
So  I  informed  him  of  that  which  had  befallen  mo ;  whereat  he  wondered 
greatly,  and  rejoiced ;  and  he  said  to  me,  Dost  thou  know  that  place  ?  1 
answered,  Yes,  O  my  master.  And  he  took  me,  and  we  went  out,  mounted 
on  an  elephant,  and  proceeded  until  we  came  to  that  place :  and  when  my 

171 


SEVENTH  VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR. 


The  elephant  uprooting  the  tree. 


master  beheld  those  numerous  teeth,  he  rejoiced  greatly  at  the  sight  of 
them  ;  aud  he  carried  away  as  much  as  he  desired,  and  we  returned  to 
the  house.  He  then  treated  me  with  increased  favor,  and  said  to  me,  O 
my  son,  thou  hast  directed  us  to  a  means  of  very  great  gain.  May  God 
then  recompense  thee  well!  Thou  art  freed  for  the  sake  of  God,  whose 
name  be  exalted !  These  elephants  used  to  destroy  many  of  us  on  account 
of  [our  seeking]  these  teeth  ;  but  God  hath  preserved  thee  from  them,  and 
172 


SEVENTH   VOYAGE  OF  SINDBAl)  THE  SATLOR. 


Siudbad  the  Sailor. 


thou  hast  profited  us  by  these  teeth  to  which  thou  hast  directed  us.  1  re- 
plied, O  my  master,  may  God  free  thy  neck  from  the  fire  [of  hell] !  And 
I  request  of  thee,  O  my  master,  that  thou  give  me  permission  to  depart  to 
my  country.  Yes,  said  he  ;  thou  shalt  have  that  permission  ;  but  we  have 
a  fair,  on  the  occasion  of  which  the  merchants  come  to  us  and  purchase 
the  teeth  of  these  elephants  of  us.  The  time  of  the  fair  is  now  near;  and 
when  they  have  come  to  us,  I  will  send  thee  with  them,  and  will  give  thee 
what  will  convey  thee  to  thy  country.  So  I  prayed  for  him  and  thanked 
him ;  and  I  remained  with  him  treated  with  respect  and  honor. 

Then,  some  days  after  this,  the  merchants  came  as  he  had  said,  and 
bought,  and  sold,  and  exchanged  ;  and  when  they  were  about  to  depart, 
my  master  came  to  me,  and  said,  The  merchants  are  going  ;  therefore  arise, 
that  thou  mayest  depart  with  them  to  thy  country.  Accordingly  I  arose, 
determined  to  go  with  them.  They  had  bought  a  great  quantity  of  those 
teeth,  and  packed  up  their  loads,  and  embarked  them  in  the  ship ;  and  my 
master  sent  me  with  them.  Ho  paid  for  me  the  money  for  my  passage 
in  the  ship,  together  with  all  that  was  required  of  me,  and  gave  me  a  large 
quantity  of  goods.  Aud  we  pursued  our  voyage  from  islaud  to  island  until 
we  had  crossed  the  sea  and  landed  on  the  shore,  when  the  merchants  took 
forth  what  was  with  them,  and  sold.  I  also  sold  what  I  had  at  an  excellent 
rate;  and  I  purchased  some  of  the  most  elegant  of  things  suited  for  pres- 

173 


SINDBAD  THE  SAILOR  AND  SINDBAD  THE  PORTER. 

ents,  and  beautiful  rarities,  with  every  thing  that  I  desired.  I  likewise 
bought  for  myself  a  beast  to  ride,  and  we  went  forth,  and  crossed  the  deserts 
from  country  to  country  until  I  arrived  at  Bagdad ;  when  I  went  in  to  the 
caliph,  and,  having  given  the  salutation  and  kissed  his  hand,  I  informed  him 
of  what  had  happened  and  what  had  befallen  me  ;  whereupon  he  rejoiced 
at  my  safety,  and  thanked  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !) ;  and  he  caused 
my  story  to  be  written  in  letters  of  gold.  I  then  entered  my  house,  and 
met  my  family  and  my  brethren.  This  is  the  end  of  the  history  of  the 
events  that  happened  to  me  during  my  voyages  ;  and  praise  be  to  God,  the 
One,  the  Creator,  the  Maker! 

THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  STORY  OF  SINDBAD   THE   SAILOR  AND 
SINDBAD  THE  PORTER. 

And  when  Sindbad  the  Sailor  had  finished  his  story,  he  ordered  his  serv- 
ant to  give  to  Siudbad  the  Porter  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and  said  to  him, 
How  now,  O  my  brother  ?  Hast  thou  heard  of  the  like  of  these  afflictions, 
and  calamities,  and  distresses,  or  have  such  troubles  as  have  befallen  me 
befallen  any  one  else,  or  hath  any  one  else  suffered  such  hardships  as  I 
have  suffered  ?  Know,  then,  that  these  pleasures  are  a  compensation  for 
the  toil  and  humiliations  that  I  have  experienced.  And  upon  this  Sindbad 
the  Porter  advanced  and  kissed  his  hands,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  lord,  by 
Allah,  thou  hast  undergone  great  horrors,  and  hast  deserved  these  abundant 
favors :  continue  then,  O  my  lord,  in  joy  and  security ;  for  God  hath  re- 
moved from  thee  the  evils  of  fortune  ;  and  I  beg  of  God  that  He  may  con- 
tinue to  thee  thy  pleasures,  and  bless  thy  days.  And  upon  this  Sindbad 
the  Sailor  bestowed  favors  upon  him,  and  made  him  his  boon-companion; 
and  he  quitted  him  not  by  night  nor  by  day  as  long  as  they  both  lived. 

Praise  be  to  God,  the  Mighty,  the  Omnipotent,  the  Strong,  the  Eminent 
in  power,  the  Creator  of  the  heaven  and  the  earth,  and  of  the  land  and  the 
seas ! 


171 


Ship  arriving  at  the  land  ol 
the  blacks. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  FIVE  HUNDRED  AND  SIXTY-SIXTH 
NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  FIVE  HUNDRED  AND  SEVENTY- 
EIGHTH. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

There  was,  in  oklen  time,  and  in  ancient  age  and  period,  in  Damascus 
of  Syria,  a  king,  one  of  the  caliphs,  named  Abdelmelik  the  son  of  Mar- 
wan  ;  and  he  was  sitting  one  day,  having  with  him  the  great  men  of  his 
empire,  consisting  of  kings  and  sultans,  when  a  discussion  took  place  anion:. 
them  respecting  the  traditions  of  former  nations.  They  called  to  mind 
the  stories  of  our  Lord  Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  b< 
peace  !),  and  the  dominion  and  authority  which  God  (whose  name  be  ex- 
alted !)  had  bestowed  upon  him  over  mankind,  and  the  Genii,  and  the  birds, 
and  the  wild  beasts,  and  other  things;  and  they  said,  We  have  heard  from 

175 


THE  STORY  OF  THF  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

(hose  who  were  before  us,  that  God  (whose  perfection  be  extolled,  and 
vv hose  name  be  exalted  !)  bestowed  not  upon  any  one  the  like  of  that  which 
rle  bestowed  upon  our  Lord  Solomon,  and  that  he  attained  to  that  to  which 
none  other  attained,  so  that  he  used  to  imprison  the  Genii,  and  the  Marids, 
and  the  Devils  in  bottles  of  brass,  aud  pour  molten  lead  over  them,  and 
seal  this  cover  over  them  with  his  signet. 

Then  Talib  [the  son  of  Sahl]  related,  that  a  man  embarked  in  a  ship 
with  a  company  of  others,  and  they  voyaged  to  the  Island  of  Sicily,  and 
ceased  not  in  their  course  until  there  arose  against  them  a  wind  which 
Lore  them  away  to  one  of  the  lands  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted ! 
This  happened  during  the  black  darkness  of  night,  and  when  the  day  shone 
forth,  there  came  out  to  them,  from  caves  in  that  land,  people  of  black  com- 
plexion and  with  naked  bodies,  like  wild  beasts  not  understanding  speech. 

They  had  a  king  of  their  own  race,  and  none  of  them  knew  Arabic  save 
their  king.     So  when  they  saw  the  ship  and  those  who  were  in  her,  he 

;  ime  forth  to  them  attended  by  a  party  of  his  companions,  and  saluted 
them  and  welcomed  them,  and  inquired  of  them  respecting  their  religion. 

.'hey  therefore  acquainted  him  with  their  state ;  and  he  said  to  them,  No 
harm  shall  befall  you.  And  when  he  asked  them  respecting  their  religion, 
each  of  them  was  of  some  one  of  the  religions  prevailing  before  the  mani- 
festation of  the  Mohammedan  faith,  and  before  the  mission  of  Mohammed, 
may  God  favor  and  preserve  him  !  wherefore  the  people  of  the  ship  said, 
We  know  not  what  thou  sayest.  Then  the  king  said  to  them,  There  hath 
not  come  to  us  any  one  of  the  sons  of  Adam  before  you.  And  he  enter- 
,  ained  them  with  a  banquet  of  the  flesh  of  birds,  and  of  wild  beasts,  and  of 

ish,  besides  which  they  had  no  food.     And  after  this  the  people  of  the 

hip  went  down  to  divert  themselves  in  the  city,  and  they  found  one  of  the 

ishermen  who  had  cast  his  net  in  the  sea  to  catch  fish,  and  he  drew  it  up, 
aud  lo,  in  it  was  a  bottle  of  brass,  stopped  with  lead,  which  was  sealed  with 
the  signet  of  Solomon  the  son  of  David,  on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !  And 
the  fisherman  came  forth  and  broke  it ;  whereupon  there  proceeded 
from  it  a  blue  smoke,  which  united  with  the  clouds  of  heaven ;  and  we 
heard  a  horrible  voice,  saying,  Repentance  !  repentance  !  O  Prophet  of 
iTod  !  Then  of  that  smoke  there  was  formed  a  person  of  terrible  aspect, 
of  terrific  make,  whose  head  would  reach  [as  high  as]  a  mountain  ;  and  he 
disappeared  from  before  their  eyes.  As  to  the  people  of  the  ship,  their 
iiearts  were  almost  eradicated  ;  but  the  blacks  thought  nothing  of  the  event. 
And  a  man  returned  to  the  king,  and  asked  him  respecting  this  ;  and  the 

.ing  answered  him,  Know  that  this  is  one  of  the  Genii  whom  Solomon  the 
son  of  David,  when  he  was  incensed  against  them,  imprisoned  in  these  bot- 
tles, and  he  poured  lead  over,  them,  and  threw  them  into  the  sea.  When 
ihe  fisherman  casteth  his  net,  it  generally  bringeth  up  these  bottles;  and 
when  they  are  broken,  there  cometh  forth  from  them  a  Genie,  who  imagin- 
eth  that  Solomon  is  still  living;  wherefore  he  repenteth,  and  saith,  Re- 
pentance !  O  Prophet  of  God  ! 

And  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Abdelmelik  the  son  of  Marwan,  won- 
dered at  these  words,  and  said,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  God!  Solo- 
.non  was  endowed  with  a  mighty  dominion  !  And  among  those  who  were 
present  in  that  assembly  was  Nabigah  el-Dubiani;  and  he  said,  Talib  hath 

spoken  truth  in  that  which  he  hath  related,  and  the  proof  of  his  veracity  is 
i he  saying  of  the  Wise,  the  First  [thus  versified]  : 
176 


And  [consider]  Solomon,  when  the  Deity  said  to  him, 
Perform  the  office  of  caliph,  and  govern  with  dili- 
gence ; 

And  whoso  obeyeth  thee,  honor  him  for  doing  so ;  and 
whoso  disobeyeth  thee,  imprison  him  forever. 

lie  used  to  put  them  into  bottles  of  brass,  and  to 
cast  them  into  the  sea.  And  the  Prince  of  the 
Faithful  approved  of  these  words,  and  said,  By  Al- 
lah, I  desire  to  see  some  of  these  bottles  !  So  Talib 
the  son  of  Sahl  replied,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful, 
thou  art  able  to  do  so,  and  yet  remain  in  thy 
country.  Send  to  thy  brother  Abdelaziz  the  son 
of  Marwan,  desiring  him  to  bring  them  to  thee  from 
the  Western  country,  that  he  may  write  orders  to 
Mousa  to  journey  from  the  Western  country  to 
this  mountain  which  we  have  mentioned,  and  to 
bring  thee  what  thou  desirest  of  these  bottles  ;  for 
the  furthest  track  of  his  province  is  adjacent  to  this 
mountain.  And  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  approved 
of  his  advice,  and  said,  O  Talib,  thou  hast  spoken 
truth  in  that  which  thou  hast  said,  and  I  desire  that 
thou  be  my  messenger  to  Mousa  the  son  of  Nuseir 
for  this  purpose,  and  thou  shalt  have  a  white  ensign, 
together  with  what  thou  shalt  desire  of  wealth  or 
dignity,  or  other  things,  and  I  will  be  thy  substitute 
to  take  care  of  thy  family.  To  this  Talib  replied, 
Most  willingly,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful.  And 
the  caliph  said  to  him,  Go  in  dependence  on  the 
blessing  of  God,  and  his  aid.  Then  he  gave  orders 
that  they  should  write  for  him  a  letter  to  his  broth- 
er Abdelaziz,  his  viceroy  in  Egypt,  and  another 
letter  to  Mousa,  his  viceroy  in  the  Western 
country,  commanding  him  to  journey  himself 
in  search  of  the  bottles  of  Solomon,  to  leave  his 
son  to  govern  the  country  in  his  stead,  and  to 
take  with  him  guides,  to  expend  wealth,  and  to 
collect  a  large  number  of  men,  and  not  to  be  re- 
miss in  accomplishing  that  object,  nor  to  use  any 
pretext  to  excuse  himself.  He  sealed  the  two 
letters,  and  delivered  them  to  Talib  the  son  of 
Sahl,  commanding  him  to  hasten,  and  to  elevate 
tlio  ensigns  over  his  head ;  and  he  gave  him 
riches,  and  riders,  and  footmen  to  aid  him 
in  his  way  :  he  gave  orders,  also,  to  supply  ,-  -: 
his  house  with  every  thing  requisite. 


V  ^    At 


it: 


> 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

So  Talib  went  forth  on  his  way  to  Egypt.  He  proceeded  with  his  com- 
panions, traversing  the  districts  from  Syria  until  they  entered  Egypt; 
when  the  Governor  of  Egypt  met  him,  and  lodged  him  with  him;  and  he 
treated  him  with  the  utmost  honor  during  the  period  of  his  stay  with  him. 
Then  he  sent  with  him  a  guide  who  accompanied  him  to  Upper  Egypt  un- 
til they  came  to  the  Emir  Mousa  the  son  of  Nuseir  ;  and  when  he  knew 
of  his  approach,  he  went  forth  to  him  and  met  him,  and  rejoiced  at  his  ar- 
rival ;  and  Talib  handed  to  him  the  letter.  So  he  took  it  and  read  it,  and 
understood  its  meaning ;  and  he  put  it  upon  his  head,  saying,  I  hear  and 
obey  the  command  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful.  He  determined  to  sum- 
mon his  great  men  ;  and  they  presented  themselves  ;  and  he  inquired  of 
them  respecting  that  which  had  been  made  known  to  him  by  the  letter; 
whereupon  they  said,  O  emir,  if  thou  desire  him  who  will  guide  thee  to 
that  place,  have  recourse  to  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  the  son  of  Abdelcad- 
des  Samudi ;  for  he  is  a  knowing  man,  and  hath  traveled  much,  and  he  is 
acquainted  with  the  deserts,  and  wastes,  and  the  seas,  and  their  inhabit- 
ants, and  their  wonders,  and  the  countries,  and  their  districts.  Have  re- 
course, therefore,  to  him,  and  he  will  direct  thee  to  the  object  of  thy  de- 
sire. Accordingly,  he  gave  orders  to  bring  him,  and  he  came  before  him  ; 
and  lo,  he  was  a  very  old  man,  whom  the  vicissitudes  of  years  and  times  had 
rendered  decrepit.  The  Emir  Mousa  saluted  him,  and  said  to  him,  O 
Sheikh  Abdelsamad,  our  lord  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Abdelmelik  the 
sou  of  Marwan,  hath  commanded  us  thus  and  thus,  and  I  possess  little 
knowledge  of  that  land,  and  it  hath  been  told  me  that  thou  art  acquainted 
with  that  country  and  the  routes.  Hast  thou  then  a  wish  to  accomplish 
the  affair  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  ?  The  sheikh  replied,  Know,  O 
emir,  that  this  route  is  difficult,  far  extending,  with  few  tracks.  The  emir 
said  to  him,  How  long  a  period  doth  it  require  ?  He  answered,  It  is  a 
journey  of  two  years  and  some  months  going,  and  the  like  returning;  and 
on  the  way  are  difficulties  and  horrors,  and  extraordinary  and  wonderful 
things.  Moreover,  thou  art  a  warrior  for  the  defense  of  the  faith,  and 
our  country  is  near  unto  the  enemy  ;  so  perhaps  the  Christians  may  come 
forth  during  our  absence  :  it  is  expedient,  therefore,  that  thou  leave  in  thy 
province  one  to  govern  it.  He  replied,  Well.  And  he  left  his  son  Harouu 
as  his  substitute  in  his  province,  exacted  an  oath  of  fidelity  to  him,  and 
commanded  the  troops  that  they  should  not  oppose  him,  but  obey  him  in 
all  that  he  should  order  them  to  do.  And  they  heard  his  words,  and  obeyed 
him.  His  son  Haroun  was  of  great  courage,  an  illustrious  hero,  and  a  bold 
champion  ;  and  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  pretended  to  him  that  the  place 
in  which  were  the  things  that  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  desired  was  four 
months'  journey  distant,  on  the  shore  of  the  sea,  and  that  throughout  the 
whole  route  were  halting-places  adjacent  one  to  another,  and  grass,  and 
springs.  And  he  said,  God  will  assuredly  make  this  affair  easy  to  us 
through  the  blessing  attendant  upon  thee,  O  viceroy  of  the  Prince  of  the 
Faithful.  Then  the  Emir  Mousa  said,  Knowest  thou  if  any  one  of  the 
kings  have  trodden  this  land  before  us  ?  He  answered  him,  Yes,  O  emir ; 
this  land  belonged  to  the  King  of  Alexandria,  Darius  the  Greek. 

After  this  they  departed,  and  they  continued  on  their  journey  until  they 

arrived  at  a  palace ;  whereupon  the  sheikh  said,  Advance  with  us  to  this 

palace,  which  preseuteth  a  lesson  to  him  who  will  be  admonished.     So  the 

Emir  Mousa  advanced  thither,  together  with  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  and 

178 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 


Palace  of  Kosh  the  son  of  Sheddad. 


his  chief  companions,  till  they  camo  to  its  entrance.  And  they  found  it 
open,  and  having  lofty  angles,  and  steps,  among  which  were  two  wide 
steps  of  colored  marbles,  the  like  of  which  hath  not  been  seen  :  the  ceil- 
ings and  walls  were  decorated  with  gold,  and  silver,  and  minerals,  and  over 
the  entrance  was  a  slab,  whereon  was  an  inscription  in  ancient  Greek  ;  and 
the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  said,  Shall  I  read  it,  O  emir?  The  emir  answer- 
ed, Advance  and  read.  May  God  bless  thee  !  for  naught  hath  happened  to 
us  during  this  journey  but  what  hath  been  the  result  of  the  blessing  at- 
tendant upon  thee.     So  he  read  it ;  and  lo,  it  was  poetry  ;  and  it  was  this  : 

Here  was  a  people  whom,  after  their  works,  thou  shalt  see  wept  over  for  their 

lost  dominion ; 
And  in  this  palace  is  the  last  information  respecting  lords  collected  in  the  dust. 
Death  bath  destroyed  them  and  disunited   them,  and  in  the  dust  they  have  lost 

what  they  amassed  , 

179 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

As  though  they  had  only  put  down  their  loads  to  rest  a  while :  quickly  have  they 
departed. 

\ud  the  Emir  Mousa  wept  until  he  became  insensible,  and  he  said,  There 
is  no  deity  but  God,  the  Living,  the  Enduring  without  failure !  He  then 
entered  the  palace,  and  was  confounded  by  its  beauty  and  its  construction  ; 
;ind  he  looked  at  the  figures  and  images  that  it  contained.  And  lo,  over  the 
.  econd  door  were  inscribed  some  verses.  So  the  Emir  Mousa  said,  Ad- 
vance, O  sheikh,  and  read.  Accordingly,  he  advanced  and  read ;  and  the 
verses  were  these  : 

How  many  companies  have  alighted  in  the  tabernacles  since  times  of  old,  and 
taken  their  departure  ! 

Consider  thou  then  what  the  accidents  of  fortuue  have  done  with  others  when 
they  have  befallen  them. 

They  have  shared  together  what  they  have  collected,  and  they  have  left  the  pleas- 
ure thereof,  and  departed. 

What  enjoyments  they  had  !  and  what  food  did  they  eat !  and  then  in  the  dust 
they  themselves  were  eaten  ! 

\nd  again  the  Emir  Mousa  wept  violently:  the  world  became  yellow  be- 
bre  his  face  ;  and  he  said,  We  have  been  created  for  a  great  object ! 

Then  they  attentively  viewed  the  palace ;  and  lo,  it  was  devoid  of  in- 
habitants, destitute  of  household  and  occupants:  its  courts  were  desolate, 
;md  its  apartments  were  deserted;  and  in  the  midst  of  it  was  a  chamber 
covered  with  a  lofty  dome,  rising  high  into  the  air,  around  which  were  four 
undred  tombs.     To  these  tombs  the  Emir  Mousa  drew  near,  and  behold, 
mong  them  was  a  tomb  constructed  of  marble,  whereon  were  engraved 
hese  verses : 

How  often  have  I  stood  [in  fight]  !  and  how  often  slain!  and  to  how  many  things 

have  I  been  a  witness  ! 
And  how  often  have  I  eaten  !  and  how  often  drunk !  and  how  often  have  I  heard 

the  songs  of  beauteous  damsels ! 
And  how  often  have  I  ordered  !   and  how  often  forbidden !  and  how  many  strong 

fortresses  are  seen, 
Which  I  have  besieged  and  searched,  and  from  which  I  have  taken  the  lovely 

females'  ornaments  ! 
But  in  my  ignorance  I  transgressed  to  obtain  things  wished  for  which  proved  at 

last  to  be  frail. 
Then  consider  attentively  thy  case,  0  man,  before  thou  shalt  drink  the  cup  of 

death ; 
For  after  a  little  while  shall  the  dust  be  poured  upon  thee,  and  thou  wilt  be  life- 
less. 

And  the  Emir  Mousa,  and  those  who  were  with  him,  wept.  Then  he 
BW  near  to  the  dome-crowned  chamber,  and  lo,  it  had  eight  doors  of  san- 
1-wood,  with  nails  of  gold,  ornamented  with  stars  of  silver  set  with  va- 
ns jewels.     And  over  the  first  door  were  inscribed  these  verses : 

What  I  have  left,  I  left  not  from  generosity ;  but  through  the  sentence  and  decree 

operating  upon  man. 
Long  time  I  lived,  happy  and  enraged,  defending  my  asylum  like  a  fierce  lion. 
I  was  never  quiet,  nor  would  I  bestow  a  mustard-seed,  by  reason  of  my  avarice, 

though  I  were  cast  into  the  fire. 
Thus  did  I  until  I  was  smitten  by  the  decree  of  the  glorious  Deity,  the  Creator, 

the  Maker. 
When  my  death  was  appointed  soon  to  take  place,  I  could  not  prevent  it  by  my 

numerous  stratagems  ; 
My  troops  that  I  had  collected  availed  not,  and  none  of  my  friends  aided  me,  nor 

mv  neighbor. 
180 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

Throughout  my  whole  life  was  I  wearied  in  my  journey  to  the  grave,  now  in  ease, 

and  now  in  difficulty. 
So,  when  the  purses  have  become  laden,  shouldst  thou  accumulate  deenar  upon 

deenar, 
It  will  all  pass  before  the  morning  to  another,  and  they  will  have  brought  thee  a 

camel-driver  and  a  grave-digger  ; 
And  on  the  day  of  thy  judgment,  lone  shalt  thou  meet  God,  laden  with  sin,  and 

crimes,  and  heavy  burdens. 
Then  let  not  the  world  deceive  thee  with  its  beauty ;  but  see  what  it  hath  done 

to  thy  family  and  neighbor. 

And  when  the  Emir  Mousa  heard  these  verses,  he  wept  again  so  violently 
that  he  became  insensible  ;  and  after  he  had  recovered  he  entered  the 
chamber  covered  with  the  dome,  and  beheld  in  it  a  long  tomb,  of  terrible 
appearance,  whereon  was  a  tablet  of  iron  of  China;  and  the  Sheikh  Abdel- 
samad  drew  near  to  it,  and  read  its  inscription  ;  and  lo,  on  it  was  written, 

In  the  name  of  God,  the  Eternal,  the  Everlasting  throughout  all  ages  :  in  the  name 
of  God,  who  begetteth  not,  and  who  is  not  begotten,  and  uuto  whom  there  is  none  like  : 
in  the  name  of  God,  the  Mighty  and  Powerful:  in  the  name  of  the  Living  who  dieth 
not.  To  proceed :  O  thou  who  arrivest  at  this  place,  be  admonished  by  the  misfortunes 
and  calamities  that  thou  beholdest,  and  be  not  deceived  by  the  world  and  its  beauty, 
and  its  falsity  and  calumny,  and  its  fallacy  and  finery  ;  for  it  is  a  flatterer,  a  cheat,  a 
traitor.  Its  things  are  borrowed,  and  it  will  take  the  loan  from  the  borrower :  and  it 
is  like  the  confused  visions  of  the  sleeper  and  the  dream  of  the  dreamer,  as  though  it 
were  the  mist  of  the  plain,  which  the  thirsty  imagineth  to  be  water;  the  devil  adorn- 
eth  it  for  man  until  death.  These  are  the  characteristics  of  the  world  ■  confide  not, 
therefore,  in  it,  nor  incline  to  it ;  for  it  will  betray  him  who  dependeth  upon  it,  and  who 
in  his  affairs  relieth  upon  it.  Fall  not  in  its  snares,  nor  cling  to  its  skirts.  For  I  pos- 
sessed four  thousand  bay  horses  in  a  stable  ;  and  I  married  a  thousand  damsels  of  the 
daughters  of  kings,  high-bosomed  virgins,  like  moons  ;  and  I  was  blessed  with  a  thou- 
sand children,  like  stern  lions  ;  and  I  lived  a  thousand  years,  happy  in  mind  and  heart ; 
and  I  amassed  riches  such  as  the  kings  of  the  regions  of  the  earth  were  unable  to  pro- 
cure, and  imagined  that  my  enjoyments  would  continue  without  failure.  But  I  was 
not  aware  when  there  alighted  among  us  the  terminator  of  delights  and  the  separator 
of  companions,  the  desolator  of  abodes,  and  the  ravager  of  inhabited  mansions,  the  de- 
stroyer of  the  great  and  the  small,  and  the  infants,  and  the  children,  and  the  mothers. 
We  had  resided  in  this  palace  in  security  until  the  event  decreed  by  the  Lord  of  all 
creatures,  the  Lord  of  the  heavens  and  the  Lord  of  the  earths,  befell  us,  and  the  thun- 
der of  the  manifest  truth  assailed  us,  and  there  died  of  us  every  day  two,  till  a  great 
company  of  us  had  perished.  So  when  I  saw  that  destruction  had  entered  our  dwell- 
ings, and  had  alighted  among  us,  and  drowned  us  in  the  sea  of  deaths,  I  summoned  a 
writer,  and  ordered  him  to  write  these  verses,  and  admonitions,  and  lessons,  and 
caused  them  to  be  engraved  upon  these  doors,  and  tablets,  and  tombs.  I  had  an  army 
comprising  a  thousand  thousand  bridles,  composed  of  hardy  men,  with  spears,  and 
coats  of  mail,  and  sharp  swords,  and  strong  arms  ;  and  I  ordered  them  to  clothe  them- 
selves with  the  long  coats  of  mail,  and  to  hang  on  the  keen  swords,  and  to  place  in 
rest  the  terrible  lances,  and  mount  the  high-blooded  horses.  Then,  when  the  event  ap- 
pointed by  the  Lord  of  all  creatures,  the  Lord  of  the  earth  and  the  heavens,  befell  us, 
I  said,  O  companies  of  troops  and  soldiers,  can  ye  prevent  that  which  hath  befallen  me 
from  the  Mighty  King?  But  the  soldiers  and  troops  were  unable  to  do  so,  and  they 
said,  How  shall  we  contend  against  him  from  whom  none  hath  secluded,  the  Lord  of 
the  door  that  hath  no  door-keeper?  So  I  said,  Bring  to  me  the  wealth.  (And  it  was 
contained  in  a  thousand  pits,  in  each  of  which  were  a  thousand  hundred-weights  of  red 
gold,  and  in  them  were  varieties  of  pearls  and  jewels,  and  there  was  the  like  quantity 
of  white  silver,  with  treasures  such  as  the  kings  of  the  earth  were  unable  to  procure.) 
And  they  did  so;  and  when  they  had  brought  the  wealth  before  me,  1  said  to  them, 
Can  ye  deliver  me  by  means  of  all  these  riches,  and  purchase  for  me  therewith  one 
day  during  which  I  may  remain  alive?  But  they  could  not  do  so.  They  resigned 
themselves  to  fate  and  destiny,  and  I  submitted  to  God  with  patient  endurance  of  fate 
and  affliction  until  he  took  my  soul,  and  made  me  to  dwell  in  my  grave.  And  if  thou 
ask  concerning  my  name,  I  am  Kosh  the  son  of  Sheddad  the  son  of  Ad  the  Greater. 

And  upon  the  same  tablet  were  also  inscribed  these  verses  : 

181 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

Shouldst  thou  think  upon  me  after  the  length  of  my  age,  and  the  vicissitudes  of 

days  and  circumstances, 
1  am  the  son  of  Sheddad,  who  held  dominion  over  mankind  and  each  tract  of  the 

whole  earth. 
All  the  stubborn  troops  became  abject  unto  me,  and  all  Arabia  from  Egypt  unto 

the  country  of  Adnan. 
In   glory  I  reigned,   abasing   their  kings,   the   people  of  the  earth  fearing   my 

dominion  ; 
And  I  beheld  the  tribes  and  armies  in  my  power,  and  saw  the  countries  and  their 

inhabitants  dread  me. 
When  I  mounted,  I  beheld  my  army  comprising  a  million  bridles  upon  neighing 

steeds  ; 
And  I  possessed  wealth  that  could  not  be  calculated,  which  I  treasured  up  against 

misfortunes, 
Determining  to  devote  the  whole  of  my  property  for  the  purpose  of  extending  the 

term  of  my  life. 
But  the  Deity  would  naught  save  the  execution  of  his  purpose  ;  and  thus  I  be- 
came separated  from  my  brethren. 
Death,  the  disuniter  of  mankind,  came  to  me,  and  I  was  removed  from  grandeur  to 

the  mansion  of  contempt ; 
And  I  found  [the  recompense  of]  all  my  past  actions,  for  which  I  am  pledged;  and 

I  was  sinful! 
Then  raise  thyself,  lest  thou  be  upon  a  brink ;  and  beware  of  calamities  !    Mayest 

thou  be  led  aright ! 

And  again  the  Emir  Mousa  wept  until  he  became  insensible,  in  considering 
the  fates  of  the  people ;  after  which,  as  they  were  going  about  through  the 
different  apartments  of  the  palace,  and  viewing  attentively  its  chambers  and 
its  places  of  diversion,  they  came  to  a  table  upon  four  legs  of  alabaster, 
whereon  was  inscribed, 

Upon  this  table  have  eaten  a  thousand  one-eyed  kings,  and  a  thousand  kings  each 
sound  in  both  eyes.  All  of  them  have  quitted  the  world,  and  taken  up  their  abode 
in  the  burial-grounds  and  the  graves. 

And  the  Emir  Mousa  wrote  all  this.  Then  he  went  forth,  and  took  not 
with  him  from  the  palace  aught  save  the  table. 

The  soldiers  proceeded,  with  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  before  them  show- 
ing them  the  way,  until  all  the  first  day  had  passed,  and  the  second,  and 
the  third.  They  then  came  to  a  high  hill,  at  which  they  looked,  and  lo, 
upon  it  was  a  horseman  of  brass,  on  the  top  of  whose  spear  was  a  wide  and 
glistening  head  that  almost  deprived  the  beholder  of  sight,  and  on  it  was  in- 
scribed, O  thou  who  comest  unto  me,  if  thou  know  not  the  way  that  lead- 
eth  to  the  City  of  Brass,  rub  the  hand  of  the  horseman,  and  he  will  turn, 
and  then  will  stop,  and  in  whatsoever  direction  he  stoppeth,  thither  pro- 
ceed, without  fear  and  without  difficulty ;  for  it  will  lead  thee  to  the  City 
of  Brass.  And  when  the  Emir  Mousa  had  rubbed  the  hand  of  the  horse- 
man, it  turned  like  the  blinding  lightning,  and  faced  a  different  direction 
from  that  in  which  they  were  traveling. 

The  paily  therefore  turned  thither  and  journeyed  on,  and  it  was  the 
right  way.  They  took  that  route,  and  continued  their  course  the  same  day 
and  the  next  night  until  they  had  traversed  a  wide  tract  of  country.  And 
as  they  were  proceeding  one  day,  they  came  to  a  pillar  of  black  stone, 
wherein  was  a  person  sunk  to  his  armpits,  and  he  had  two  huge  wings,  and 
four  arms ;  two  of  them  like  those  of  the  sons  of  Adam,  and  two  like  the 
fore  legs  of  lions,  with  claws.  He  had  hair  upon  his  head  like  the  tails  of 
horses,  and  two  eyes  like  two  burning  coals,  and  he  had  a  third  eye  in  his 
forehead,  like  the  eye  of  the  lynx,  from  which  there  appeared  sparks  of 
18:2 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 


^V^PO 


Horseman  of  Brass. 

fire.  He  was  black  and  tall;  and  he  was  crying  out,  Extolled  be  the  per- 
fection of  my  Lord,  who  hath  appointed  me  this  severe  affliction  and  pain- 
ful torture  until  the  day  of  resurrection  !  When  the  party  beheld  him 
their  reason  (led  from  them,  and  they  were  stupefied  at  the  sight  of  his 
form,  and  retreated  in  flight;  and  the  Emir  Mousa  said  to  the  Sheikh  Ab- 
delsamad,  What  is  this  ?  He  answered,  I  know  not  what  he  is.  And  the 
emir  said,  Draw  near  to  him  and  investigate  his  case  :  perhaps  he  will  dis- 
cover it,  and  perhaps  thou  wilt  learn  his  history.  The  Sheikh  Abdelsa- 
mad  replied,  May  God  amend  the  state  of  the  emir  !  Verily  we  fear  him. 
Fear  ye  not,  rejoined  the  emir ;  for  he  is  withheld  from  injuring  you  and 
others  by  the  state  in  which  he  is.  So  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  drew  near 
to  him  and  said  to  him,  O  thou  person,  what  is  thy  name,  and  what  is  thy 
nature,  and  what  hath  placed  thee  here  in  this  manner?  And  he  answer- 
ed him,  As  to  me,  I  am  an  Afrite  of  the  Genii,  and  my  name  is  Dahish 
the  son  of  Elamash,  and  I  am  restrained  here  by  the  majesty,  confined  by 
the  power  [of  God],  tormented  as  long  as  God  (to  whom  be  ascribed  might 
and  glory  !)  willeth.     Then  the  Emir  Mousa  said.  O  Sheikh  Abdelsamad, 

183 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 


The  AfHte  in  the  pillar. 


ask  him  what  is  the  cause  of  his  confinement  in  this  pillar.  He  therefore 
asked  respecting  that,  and  the  Afrite  answered  him,  Verily  my  story  is 
wonderful ;   and  it  is  this  : 

There  belonged  to  one  of  the  sons  of  Eblis  an  idol  of  red  cai-nelian,  of 
which  I  was  made  guardian  ;  and  there  used  to  worship  it  one  of  the  kings 
of  the  sea,  of  illustrious  dignity,  of  great  glory,  leading,  among  his  troops  of 
the  Genii,  a  million  warriors  who  smote  with  swords  before  him,  and  who 
answered  his  prayer  in  cases  of  difficulty.  These  Genii,  who  obeyed  him, 
were  under  my  command  and  authority,  following  my  words  when  I  or- 
dered them  :  all  of  them  were  in  rebellion  against  Solomon  the  son  of  Da- 
vid (on  both  of  whom  be  peace !),  and  I  used  to  enter  the  body  of  the  idol, 
184 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS* 

and  command  them  and  forbid  them.  Now  the  daughter  of  that  king  was 
a  frequent  adorer  of  the  idol,  assiduous  in  the  worship  of  it,  and  she  was 
the  handsomest  of  the  people  of  her  age,  endowed  with  beauty  and  loveli- 
ness, and  elegance  and  perfection  ;  and  I  described  her  to  Solomon,  on 
whom  be  peace  !  So  he  sent  to  her  father,  saying  to  him,  Marry  to  me 
thy  daughter,  and  break  thy  carnelian  idol,  and  bear  witness  that  there  is 
no  deity  but  God,  and  that  Solomon  is  the  Prophet  of  God.  If  thou  do  so, 
thy  due  shall  be  the  same  as  our  due,  and  thy  debt  as  our  debt.  But  if 
thou  refuse,  I  bring  against  thee  forces  with  which  thou  hast  not  power  to 
contend  :  therefore  prepare  an  answer  to  the  question,  and  put  on  the  gar- 
ment of  death  ;  for  I  will  come  to  thee  with  forces  that  shall  fill  the  vacant 
region,  and  leave  thee  like  yesterday  that  hath  passed.  And  when  the 
messenger  of  Solomon  (on  whom  be  peace  !)  came  to  him,  he  was  insolent 
and  contumacious,  and  magnified  himself  and  was  proud.  Then  he  said  to 
his  viziers,  What  say  ye  respecting  the  affair  of  Solomon  the  son  of  Da- 
vid ?  For  he  hath  sent  demanding  my  daughter,  and  commanding  me  to 
break  my  carnelian  idol,  and  to  adopt  his  faith.  And  they  replied,  O  great 
king,  can  Solomon  do  unto  thee  that,  when  thou  art  in  the  midst  of  this 
vast  sea  1  If  he  come  unto  thee,  he  can  not  prevail  against  thee  ;  since  the 
Marids  of  the  Genii  will  fight  on  thy  side ;  and  thou  shalt  seek  aid  against 
him  of  thine  idol  that  thou  worshipest ;  for  he  will  aid  thee  against  him, 
and  will  defend  thee.  The  right  opinion  is,  that  thou  consult  thy  lord 
(and  they  meant  by  him  the  red  carnelian  idol),  and  hear  what  will  be  his 
reply  :  if  he  counsel  thee  to  fight  him,  fight  him  ;  but  otherwise,  do  not. 
And  upon  this  the  king  went  immediately,  and,  going  in  to  his  idol,  after 
he  had  offered  a  sacrifice  and  slain  victims,  fell  down  before  it  prostrate-, 
and  began  to  weep  and  to  recite  these  verses  : 

O  my  lord,  verily  I  know  thy  dignity;  and  behold,  Solomon  desireth  to  break  thee. 
O  my  lord,  verily  I  seek  thy  defense ;  command  then ;  for  I  am  obedient  to  thy 
command. 

(Then  that  Afrite,  the  half  of  whom  was  in  the  pillar,  said  to  the  Sheikh 
Abdelsamad,  while  those  around  him  listened,)  And  thereupon  I  entered 
the  body  of  the  idol,  by  reason  of  my  ignorance,  and  the  paucity  of  my 
sense,  and  my  solicitude  respecting  the  affair  of  Solomon,  and  recited  this 
couplet: 

As  for  me,  I  am  not  in  fear  of  him;  for  I  am  acquainted  with  every  tiling. 
If  he  wishes  to  wage  war  with  me,  I  will  go  forth,  and  I  will  snatch  his  soul  from 
him. 

So  when  the  king  heard  my  reply  to  him,  his  heart  was  strengthened,  and 
he  determined  to  wage  war  with  Solomon,  the  Prophet  of  God,  on  whom 
be  peace  !  and  to  fight  against  him.  Accordingly,  when  the  messenger  of 
Solomon  came,  he  inflicted  upon  him  a  painful  beating,  and  returned  him  a 
shameful  reply  ;  and  he  sent  to  threaten  Solomon,  saying  to  him  by  the 
messenger,  Thy  mind  hath  suggested  to  thee  desires.  Dost  thou  threaten 
me  with  false  words  .'     Either  come  thou  to  me,  or  I  will  go  to  thee. 

Then  the  messenger  returned  to  Solomon,  and  acquainted  him  with  all 
that  had  occurred  and  happened  to  him.  And  when  the  Prophet  of  God, 
Solomon,  heard  that,  [it  was  as  though]  his  resurrection  took  place,  his 
resolution  was  roused,  and  he  prepared  his  forces,  consisting  of  Genii  and 
naen,  and  wild  beasts,  and  birds,  and  reptiles.     He  commanded  his  Vizier 

185 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

Dimiriat,  the  King  of  the  Genii,  to  collect  the  Marids  of  the  Genii  from  ev- 
ery place  :  so  he  collected  for  him,  of  the  Devils,  six  hundred  millions. 
He  also  commanded  Asaph  the  son  of  Barkia  [his  vizier  of  men]  to  collect 
his  soldiers  of  mankind  ;  and  their  number  was  one  million,  or  more.  He 
made  ready  the  accouterments  and  weapons,  and  mounted,  with  his  forces 
of  the  Genii  and  of  mankind,  upon  the  carpet,*  with  the  birds  flying  over 
his  head,  and  the  wild  beasts  beneath  the  carpet  marching,  until  he  alight- 
ed upon  his  enemy's  coast,  and  surrounded  his  island,  having  filled  the  land 
with  the  forces.  He  then  sent  to  our  king,  saying  to  him,  Behold,  I  have 
arrived  ;  therefore  repel  from  thee  that  which  hath  come  down,  or  else 
submit  thyself  to  my  authority,  and  acknowledge  my  mission,  and  break 
thine  idol,  and  worship  the  One,  the  adored  God,  and  marry  to  me  thy 
daughter  according  to  law,  and  say  thou,  and  those  who  are  with  thee,  I 
testify  that  there  is  no  deity  but  God,  and  I  testify  that  Solomon  is  the 
Prophet  of  God.  If  thou  say  that,  peace  and  safety  shall  be  thy  lot. 
But  if  thou  refuse,  thy  defending  thyself  from  me  in  this  island  shall 
not  prevent  thee  ;  for  God  (whose  name  be  blessed  and  exalted  !)  hath 
commanded  the  wind  to  obey  me,  and  I  will  order  it  to  convey  me  unto 
thee  on  the  carpet,  and  will  make  thee  an  example  to  restrain  others. 
So  the  messenger  came  to  him,  and  communicated  to  him  the  message 
of  the  Prophet  of  God,  Solomon,  on  whom  be  peace!  But  the  king 
said  to  him,  There  is  no  way  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  thing  that 
he  requireth  of  me  ;  therefore  inform  him  that  I  am  coming  forth  unto 
him.  Accordingly,  the  messenger  returned  to  Solomon,  and  gave  him  the 
reply.  The  king  then  sent  to  the  people  of  his  country,  and  collected  for 
himself,  of  the  Genii  that  were  under  his  authority,  a  million  ;  and  to  these 
he  added  others,  of  the  Marids  and  Devils  that  were  in  the  islands  of  the 
seas  and  on  the  tops  of  the  mountains  ;  after  which  he  made  ready  his 
forces,  and  opened  the  armories,  and  distributed  to  them  the  weapons. 
And  as  to  the  Prophet  of  God,  Solomon  (on  whom  be  peace  !),  he  disposed 
his  troops,  commanding  the  wild  beasts  to  form  themselves  into  two  divi- 
sions, ou  the  right  of  the  people  and  on  their  left,  and  commanding  the  birds 
to  be  upon  the  islands.  He  ordered  them,  also,  when  the  assault  should 
be  made,  to  tear  out  the  eyes  of  their  antagonists  with  their  beaks,  and  to 
beat  their  faces  with  their  wings ;  and  he  ordered  the  wild  beasts  to  tear 
in  pieces  their  horses  ;  and  they  replied,  We  hear  and  obey  God,  and  thee, 
O  Prophet  of  God  !  Then  Solomon,  the  Prophet  of  God,  set  for  himself 
a  couch  of  alabaster  adorned  with  jewels,  and  plated  with  plates  of  red 
gold,  and  he  placed  his  Vizier  Asaph  the  son  of  Barkia  on  the  right  side, 
and  his  Vizier  Dimiriat  on  the  left  side,  and  the  kings  of  mankind  on  his 
right,  and  the  kings  of  the  Geuii  on  his  left,  and  the  wild  beasts,  and  the 
vipers  and  serpents  before  him. 

After  this  they  came  upon  us  all  together,  and  we  contended  with  him 
in  a  wide  tract  for  a  period  of  two  days  ;  and  calamity  befell  us  on  the  third 
day,  and  the  decree  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  was  executed  among 
us.  The  first  who  charged  upon  Solomon  were  I  and  my  troops  :  and  I 
said  to  my  companions,  Keep  in  your  places  in  the  battle-field  while  I  go 
forth  to  them  and  challenge  Dimiriat.  And  lo,  he  came  forth,  like  a  great 
mountain,  his  fires  flaming  and  his  smoke  ascending;  and  he  approached 

*  Solomon  is  believed  by  the  Mohammedans  to  have  had  a  carpet  upon  which  ha 
was  able  to  transport  himself  throutrh  the  air. 
186 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

and  smote  me  with  a  flaming  fire  ;  and  his  arrow  prevailed  over  my  fire. 
He  cried  out  at  me  with  a  prodigious  cry,  so  that  I  imagined  the  heaven 
had  fallen  and  closed  over  me,  and  the  mountains  shook  at  his  voice.  Then 
he  commanded  his  companions,  and  they  charged  upon  us  all  together  :  we 
also  charged  upon  them,  and  we  cried  out  one  to  another  :  the  fires  rose 
and  the  smoke  ascended,  the  hearts  of  the  combatants  were  almost  cleft 
asunder,  and  the  battle  raged.  The  birds  fought  in  the  air  ;  and  the  wild 
beasts  in  the  dust;  and  I  contended  with  Dimiriat  until  he  wearied  me  and 
I  wearied  him ;  after  which  I  became  weak,  and  my  companions  and  troops 
were  enervated,  and  my  tribes  were  routed.  The  Prophet  of  God,  Solo- 
mon, cried  out,  Take  ye  this  tyrant,  the  ill-omened,  the  infamous  !  And 
the  men  charged  upon  the  men,  and  the  Genii  upon  the  Genii ;  defeat  be- 
fell our  king,  and  we  became  unto  Solomon  a  spoil.  His  troops  charged 
upon  our  forces,  with  the  wild  beasts  on  their  right  and  left,  and  the  birds 
were  over  our  heads,  tearing  out  the  eyes  of  the  people,  sometimes  with 


The  refractory  Genii  overcome  by  Solomon's  forces. 


187 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

their  talons  and  sometimes  with  their  beaks,  and  sometimes  they  beat  with 
their  wings  upon  the  faces  of  the  combatants,  while  the  wild  beasts  bit  the 
horses  and  tore  in  pieces  the  men,  until  the  greater  portion  of  the  party 
lay  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  like  the  trunks  of  palm-trees.  As  to  me,  I 
flew  from  before  Dimiriat;  but  he  followed  me  a  journey  of  three  months, 
until  he  overtook  me.  I  had  falleu  down  through  fatigue,  and  he  rushed 
upon  me  and  made  me  a  prisoner.     So  I  said  to  him,  By  Him  who  hath 


Dauhash  overtaken  by  Dimiriat. 


exalted  thee  and  abased  me,  pity  me,  and  take  me  before  So  omon,  on 
whom  be  peace  !  But  when  I  came  before  Solomon,  he  met  me  in  a  most 
evil  manner :  he  caused  this  pillar  to  be  brought,  and  hollowed  it,  and  put 
me  in  it,  and  sealed  me  with  his  signet;  after  which  he  chained  me,  and 
Dimiriat  conveyed  me  to  this  place,  where  he  set  me  down  as  thou  seest 
me  ;  and  this  pillar  is  my  prison  until  the  day  of  resurrection.  He  charged 
a  great  king  to  guard  me  in  this  prison,  and  I  am  in  this  condition  tortured 
as  thou  seest  me. 

The  party  therefore  wondered  at  him,  and  at  the  horrible  nature  of  his 
form;  and  the  Emir  Mousa  said.  There  is  no  deity  but  God!     Solomon 
188 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

was  endowed  with  a  mighty  dominion  !  And  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamnd  said 
to  the  Afrite,  O  thou,  1  ask  thee  concerning  a  thing  of  which  do  thou  in- 
form us.  The  Afrite  replied,  Ask  concerning  what  thou  wilt.  And  the 
sheikh  said,  Are  there  in  this  place  any  of  the  Afrites  confined  in  bottles 
of  brass  from  the  time  of  Solomon,  on  whom  be  peace  ?  He  answered, 
Yes,  in  the  Sea  of  Kakar,  where  are  a  people  of  the  descendants  of  Noah 
(on  whom  be  peace  !),  whose  country  the  deluge  reached  not,  and  they  are 
separated  there  from  [the  rest  of]  the  sons  of  Adam.  And  where,  said  the 
sheikh,  is  the  way  to  the  City  of  Brass  and  the  place  wherein  are  the  bot- 
tles? What  distance  is  there  between  us  and  it  ?  The  Afrite  answered, 
It  is  near.  So  the  party  left  him  and  proceeded ;  and  there  appeared  to 
them  a  great  black  object,  with  two  [seeming]  fires  corresponding  with  each 
other  in  positiou,  in  the  distance,  in  that  black  object;  whereupon  the  Emir 
Mousa  said  to  the  sheikh,  What  is  this  great  black  object,  and  what  are 
these  two  corresponding  fires  ?  The  guide  answered  him,  Be  rejoiced,  O 
emir;  for  this  is  the  City  of  Brass,  and  this  is  the  appearance  of  it  that  I 
find  described  in  the  book  of  hidden  treasures;  that  its  wall  is  of  black  stones, 
and  it  hath  two  towers  of  Spanish  brass,  which  the  beholder  seeth  resem- 
bling two  corresponding  fires ;  and  thence  it  is  named  the  City  of  Brass. 
They  ceased  not  to  proceed  until  they  arrived  at  it ;  and  lo,  it  was  lofty, 
strongly  fortified,  rising  high  into  the  air,  impenetrable  :  the  height  of  its 
walls  was  eighty  cubits,  and  it  had  five-and-twenty  gates,  none  of  which 
would  open  but  by  means  of  some  artifice ;  and  there  was  not  one  gate  to 
it  that  had  not,  within  the  city,  one  like  it ;  such  was  the  beauty  of  the 
construction  and  architecture  of  the  city.  They  stopped  before  it,  and  en- 
deavored to  discover  one  of  its  gates;  but  they  could  not;  and  the  Emir 
Mousa  said  to  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad,  O  sheikh,  I  see  not  to  this  city  any 
gate.  The  sheikh  replied,  O  emir,  thus  do  I  find  it  described  in  the  book 
of  hidden  treasures ;  that  it  hath  five-and-twenty  gates,  and  that  none  of 
its  gates  may  be  opened  but  from  within  the  city.  And  how,  said  the 
emir,  can  we  contrive  to  enter  it,  and  divert  ourselves  with  a  view  of  its 
wonders  ? 

Then  the  Emir  Mousa  ordered  one  of  his  young  men  to  mount  a  camel, 
and  ride  round  the  city,  in  the  hope  that  he  might  discover  a  trace  of  a 
gate,  or  a  place  lower  than  that  to  which  they  were  opposite.  So  one  of 
his  young  men  mounted,  and  proceeded  around  it  for  two  days  with  their 
nights,  prosecuting  his  journey  with  diligence,  and  not  resting ;  and  when 
the  third  day  arrived,  he  came  in  sight  of  his  companions,  and  he  was  as- 
tounded at  that  which  he  beheld  of  the  extent  of  the  city,  and  its  height. 
Then  he  said,  O  emir,  the  easiest  place  in  it  is  this  place  at  which  ye  have 
alighted.  And  thereupon  the  Emir  Mousa  took  Taleb  the  son  of  Sahl,  and 
the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad,  and  they  ascended  a  mountain  opposite  the  city, 
and  overlooking  it;  and  when  they  had  ascended  that  mountain,  they  saw 
a  city  than  which  eyes  had  not  beheld  any  greater.  Its  pavilions  were 
lofty,  and  its  domes  were  shining;  its  mansions  were  in  good  condition,  and 
its  rivers  were  running;  its  trees  were  fruitful,  and  its  gardens  bore  ripe 
produce.  It  was  a  city  with  impenetrable  gates,  empty,  still,  without  a 
voice  or  a  cheering  inhabitant,  but  the  owl  hooting  in  its  quarters,  and  birds 
skimming  in  circles  in  its  areas,  and  the  raven  croaking  in  its  districts  and 
its  great  thoroughfare  streets,  and  bewailing  those  who  had  been  in  it.  The 
Emir  Mousa  paused,  sorrowing  for  its  being  devoid  of  inhabitants,  and  its 

189 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

being  despoiled  of  people  and  residents;  and  he  said,  Extolled  be  the  per- 
fection of  Him  whom  ages  and  times  change  not,  the  Creator  of  the  crea- 
tion by  his  power !  And  while  he  was  extolling  the  perfection  of  God  (to 
whom  be  ascribed  might  and  glory  !),  he  happened  to  look  aside,  and  lo, 
there  were  seven  tablets  of  white  marble,  appearing  from  a  distance.  So 
he  approached  them,  and  behold,  they  were  sculptured  and  inscribed ;  and 
he  ordered  that  their  writing  should  be  read  :  therefore  the  Sheikh  Abdel- 
samad  advanced  and  examined  them,  and  read  them ;  and  they  contained 
admonition,  and  matter  for  example  and  restraint,  unto  those  endowed  with 
faculties  of  discernment.  Upon  the  first  tablet  was  inscribed,  in  the  an- 
cient Greek  character  : 

O  son  of  Adam,  how  heedless  art  thou  of  the  case  of  him  who  hath  been  before  thee  ! 
Thy  years  and  age  have  diverted  thee  from  considering  him.  Knowest  thou  not  that 
the  cup  of  death  will  be  filled  for  thee,  and  that  in  a  short  time  thou  wilt  drink  it  ? 
Look,  then,  to  thyself  before  entering  thy  grave.  Where  are  those  who  possessed  the 
countries,  and  abased  the  servants  of  God,  and  led  armies  ?  Death  hath  come  upon 
them ;  and  God  is  the  terminator  of  delights,  and  the  separator  of  companions,  and  the 
devastator  of  flourishing  dwellings ;  so  He  hath  transported  them  from  the  amplitude 
of  palaces  to  the  straitness  of  the  graves. 

And  in  the  lower  part  of  the  tablet  were  inscribed  these  verses  : 

Where  are  the  kings  and  the  peoplers  of  the  earth  ?     They  have   quitted  that 

which  they  have  built  and  peopled  ; 
And  in  the  grave  they  are  pledged  for  their  past  actions :  there,  after  destruction, 

they  have  become  putrid  corpses. 
Where  are  the  troops  1    They  repelled  not,  nor  profited.    And  where  is  that  which 

they  collected  and  hoarded  ? 
The  decree  of  the  Lord  of  the  Throne  surprised  them.     Neither  riches  nor  refuge 

saved  them  from  it. 

And  the  Emir  Mousa  fainted  ;  his  tears  ran  down  upon  his  cheeks,  and  he 
said,  By  Allah,  indifference  to  the  world  is  the  most  appropriate  and  the 
most  sure  course  !  Then  he  caused  an  ink-case  and  a  paper  to  be  brought, 
and  he  wrote  the  inscription  of  the  first  tablet ;  after  which  he  drew  near  to 
the  second  tablet,  and  the  third,  and  the  fourth  ;  and  having  copied  what  was 
inscribed  on  them,  he  descended  from  the  mountain  ;  and  the  world  had 
been  pictured  before  his  eyes. 

And  when  he  came  back  to  the  troops,  they  passed  the  day  devising 
means  of  entering  the  city;  and  the  Emir  Mousa  said  to  his  vizier,  Taleb  the 
son  of  Sahl,  and  to  those  of  his  chief  officers  who  were  around  him,  How 
shall  we  contrive  to  enter  the  city,  that  we  may  see  its  wonders  ?  Perhaps 
we  shall  find  in  it  something  by  which  we  may  ingratiate  ourselves  with  the 
Prince  of  the  Faithful.  Taleb  the  son  of  Sahl  replied,  May  God  continue 
the  prosperity  of  the  emir  !  Let  us  make  a  ladder,  and  mount  upon  it,  and 
perhaps  we  shall  gain  access  to  the  gate  from  within.  And  the  emir  said, 
This  is  what  occurred  to  my  mind,  and  excellent  is  the  advice.  Then  he 
called  to  the  carpenters  and  blacksmiths,  and  ordered  them  to  make  straight 
some  pieces  of  wood,  and  to  construct  a  ladder  covered  with  plates  of  iron. 
And  they  did  so,  and  made  it  strong.  They  employed  themselves  in  con- 
structing it  a  whole  month,  and  many  men  were  occupied  in  making  it. 
And  they  set  it  up  and  fixed  it  against  the  wall,  and  it  proved  to  be  equal  to 
the  wall  in  height,  as  though  it  had  been  made  for  it  before  that  day.  So 
the  Emir  Mousa  wondered  at  it,  and  said,  God  bless  you  !  It  seemeth,  from 
the  excellence  of  your  work,  as  though  ye  had  adapted  it  by  measurement 
190 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 


to  the  wall.  He  then  said  to  the  people,  Which  of  you  will  ascend  this 
ladder,  and  mount  upon  the  wall,  and  walk  along  it,  and  contrive  means  of 
descending  into  the  city,  that  he  may  see  how  the  case  is,  and  then  inform 
us  of  the  mode  of  opening  the  gate  J  And  one  of  them  answered,  I  will 
ascend  it,  O  emir,  and  descend  and  open  the  gate.  The  emir  therefore  re- 
plied, Mount.  God  bless  thee!  Accordingly,  the  man  ascended  the  lad- 
der until  he  reached  the  top  of  it ;  when  he  stood,  and  fixed  his  eyes  toward 
the  city,  clapped  his  hands,  and  cried  out  with  his  loudest  voice,  saying, 
Thou  art  beautiful !  Then  he  cast  himself  down  into  the  city,  and  his 
flesh  became  mashed  with  his  bones.  So  the  Emir  Mousa  said,  This  is 
the  action  of  the  rational.  How,  then,  will  the  insane  act  ?  If  we  do  thus 
with  all  our  companions,  there  will  not  remain  of  them  one ;  and  we  shall 
be  unable  to  accomplish  our  affair,  and  the  affair  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faith- 
ful. Depart  ye  ;  for  we  have  no  concern  with  this  city.  But  one  of  them 
said,  Perhaps  another  than  this  may  be  more  steady  than  he.  And  a  sec- 
ond ascended,  and  a  third,  and  a  fourth,  and  a  fifth  ;  and  they  ceased  not  to 
ascend  by  that  ladder  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  one  after  another,  until  twelve 
men  of  them  had  gone,  acting  as  acted  the  first.  Therefore  the  Sheikh 
Abdelsamad  said,  There  is  none  for  this  affair  but  myself,  and  the  experi- 
enced is  not  like  the  inexperienced.  But  the  Emir  Mousa  said  to  him., 
Thou  shalt  not  do  that,  nor  will  I  allow  thee  to  ascend  to  the  top  of  this 
wall ;  for  shouldst  thou  die,  thou  wTouldst  be  the  cause  of  the  death  of  us 
all,  and  there  would  not  remain  of  us  one ;  since  thou  art  the  guide  of  the 
party.  The  sheikh,  however,  replied,  Perhaps  the  object  will  be  accom- 
plished by  my  means,  through  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted ! 
And  thereupon  all  the  people  agreed  to  his  ascending. 

Then  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  arose  and  encouraged  himself,  and,  hav- 
ing said,  In  the  name  of  God,  the  Compassionate,  the  Merciful !  he  as- 
cended the  ladder,  repeating  the  praises  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !), 
and  reciting  the  Verses  of  Safety,  until  he  reached  the  top  of  the  wall ; 
when  he  clapped  his  hands,  and  fixed  his  eyes.  The  people  therefore  all 
called  out  to  him,  and  said,  O  Sheikh  Abdelsamad,  do  it  not,  and  cast  not  thy- 
self down  !  And  they  said,  Verily  to  God  we  belong,  and  verily  unto  Him 
we  return  !  If  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  fall,  we 
all  perish  !  Then  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  laugh- 
ed immoderately,  and  sat  a  long  time  repeating 
the  praises  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !), 
and  reciting  the  Verses  of  Safety  ;  after  which 
he  rose  with  energy,  and  called  out  with  his 
loudest  voice,  O  emir,  no  harm  shall  befall 
you ;  for  God  (to  whom  be  ascribed  might  and 
glory!)  hath  averted  from  me  the  effect,  of  the 
artifice  and  fraudulence  of  the  devil,  through 
the  blessing  resulting  from  the  utterance  of  the 
words,  In  the  name  of  God,  the  Compassion- 
ate, the  Merciful.  So  the  emir  said  to  him, 
What  hast  thou  seen,  O  sheikh  ?  He  answer- 
ed, When  1  reached  the  top  of  the  wall,  I  be- 
held ten  damsels  like  moons,  who  made  a  sign 
with  their  bands,  as  though  they  would  say, 
Come  to  us.     And  it  seemed  to  me  that  be- 


,M 


'flic  ten  dainso 
]  trass 


in  the  City  of 


101 


neath  me  was  a  sea  (or  great  river) 
of  water;  whereupon  1  desired  to  cast 
myself  down,  as  our  companions  did  ; 
but  I  beheld  them  dead ;  so  I  with- 
held myself  from  them,  and  recited 
some  words  of  the  book  of  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !),  whereupon  God 
averted  from  me  the  influence  of 
those  damsels'  artifice,  and  they  de- 
parted from  me  ;  therefore  I  cast  not 
myself  down,  and  God  repelled  from 
me  the  effect  of  their  artifice  and  en- 
chantment. There  is  no  doubt  that 
this  is  an  enchantment  and  an  artifice 
which  the  people  of  this  city  contrived 
in  order  to  repel  from  it  every  one 
who  should  desire  to  look  down  upon 
it  and  wish  to  obtain  access  to  it ;  and 
these  our  companions  are  laid  dead. 
He  then  walked  along  the  wall  till 
ij'j  he  came  to  the  two  towers  of  brass, 
I  when  he  saw  that  they  had  two  gates 
I  of  gold,  without  locks  upon  them,  or 
|  any  sign  of  the  means  of  opening 
them.  Therefore  the  sheikh  paused 
as  long  as  God  willed,  and,  looking  at- 
I  tentively,  he  saw  in  the  middle  of  one 
jj  of  the  gates  a  figure  of  a  horseman  of 
brass,  having  one  hand  extended,  as 
though  he  were  pointing  with  it,  and 
on  it  was  an  inscription,  which  the 
sheikh  read,  and  lo,  it  contained  these 
words :  Turn  the  pin  that  is  in  the 
middle  of  the  front  of  the  horse- 
man's body  twelve  times,  and  then 
the  gate  will  open.  So  he  examined 
the  horseman,  and  in  the  middle  of 
the  front  of  his  body  was  a  pin,  strong, 
firm,  well  fixed  ;  and  he  turned  it 
twelve  times ;  whereupon  the  gate 
opened  immediately,  with  a  noise  like 
thunder;  and  the  Sheikh  Abdelsa- 
mad  entered.  He  was  a  learned  man, 
acquainted  with  all  languages  and  char- 
acters. And  he  walked  on  until  he 
entered  a  long  passage,  whence  he 
descended  some  steps,  and  he  found  a 
place  with  handsome  wooden  bench- 
es, on  which  were  people  dead,  and 
over  their  heads  were  elegant  shields, 
and  keen  swords,  and  strung  bows, 
and  notched  arrows.  And  behind  the 
[next]   gate  were  a  bar  of  iron,  and 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

barricades  of  wood,  and  locks  of  delicate  fabric,  and  strong  apparatus. 
Upon  this  the  sheikh  said  within  himself,  Perhaps  the  keys  are  with  these 
people.  Then  he  looked,  and  lo,  there  was  a  sheikh  who  appeared  to  be 
the  oldest  of  them,  and  he  was  upon  a  high  wooden  bench  among  the  dead 
men.  So  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  said,  May  not  the  keys  of  the  city  be 
with  this  sheikh !  Perhaps  he  was  the  gate-keeper  of  the  city,  and  these 
were  under  his  authority.  He  therefore  drew  near  to  him  and  lifted  up 
his  garments,  and  lo,  the  keys  were  hung  to  his  waist.  At  the  sight  of 
them,  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  rejoiced  exceedingly;  his  reason  almost  fled 
from  him  in  consequence  of  his  joy  :  and  he  took  the  keys,  approached  the 
gate,  opened  the  locks,  pulled  the  gate,  and  the  barricades,  and  other  ap- 
paratus, which  opened,  and  the  gate  also  opened,  with  a  noise  like  thunder, 
by  reason  of  its  greatness,  and  terribleness,  and  the  enormity  of  its  appa- 
ratus. Upon  this  the  sheikh  exclaimed,  God  is  most  great !  and  the  peo- 
ple made  the  same  exclamation  with  him,  rejoicing  at  the  event.  The 
Emir  Mousa  also  rejoiced  at  the  safety  of  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad,  and  at 
the  opening  of  the  gate  of  the  city  ;  the  people  thanked  the  sheikh  for  that 
which  he  had  done,  and  all  the  troops  hastened  to  enter  the  gate.  But  the 
Emir  Mousa  cried  out  to  them,  saying  to  them,  O  people,  if  all  of  us  en- 
ter, we  shall  not  be  secure  from  some  accident  that  may  happen.  Half 
shall  enter,  and  half  shall  remain  behind. 

The  Emir  Mousa  then  entered  the  gate,  and  with  him  half  of  the  peo- 
ple, who  bore  their  weapons  of  war.  And  the  party  saw  their  companions 
lying  dead  :  so  they  buried  them.  They  saw  also  the  gate-keepers,  and 
servants,  and  chamberlains,  and  lieutenants  lying  upon  beds  of  silk,  all  of 
them  dead,  and  they  entered  the  market  of  the  city,  and  beheld  a  great 
market,  with  lofty  buildings,  none  of  which  projected  beyond  another :  the 
shops  were  open,  and  the  scales  hung  up,  and  the  utensils  of  brass  ranged 
in  order,  and  the  khans  were  full  of  all  kinds  of  goods.  And  they  saw  the 
merchants  dead  in  their  shops  :  their  skins  were  dried,  and  their  bones 
were  carious,  and  they  had  become  examples  to  him  who  would  be  ad- 
monished. They  saw  likewise  four  markets  of  particular  shops,  filled  with 
wealth.  And  they  left  this  place  and  passed  on  to  the  silk-market,  in 
which  were  silks  and  brocades  interwoven  with  red  gold  and  white  silver 
upon  various  colors,  and  the  owners  were  dead,  lying  upon  skins,  and  ap- 
pearing almost  as  though  they  would  speak.  Leaving  these,  they  went  on 
to  the  market  of  jewels,  and  pearls,  and  jacinths;  and  they  left  it  and  pass- 
ed on  to  the  market  of  the  money-changers,  whom  they  found  dead,  with 
varieties  of  silks  beneath  them,  and  their  shops  were  filled  with  gold  and 
silver.  These  they  left,  and  they  proceeded  to  the  market  of  the  perfum- 
ers; and  lo,  their  shops  were  filled  with  varieties  of  perfumes,  and  bags  of 
musk,  and  ambergris,  and  aloes-wood,  and  nedd,*  and  camphor,  and  other 
things;  and  the  owners  were  all  dead,  not  having  with  them  any  food. 
And  when  they  went  forth  from  the  market  of  the  perfumers,  they  found 
near  unto  it  a  palace,  decorated,  and  strongly  constructed ;  and  they  enter- 
ed it.  and  found  banners  unfurled,  and  drawn  swords,  and  strung  bows,  and 
shields  hung  up  by  chains  of  gold  and  silver,  and  hehnets  gilded  with  red 
gold.  And  in  the  passages  of  that  palace  were  benches  of  ivory,  ornament- 
ed with  plates  of  brilliant  gold,  and  with  silk,  on  which  were  men  whose 

*  A  mixture  of  perfumes,  but  chiefly  ambergris. 
Vol.  II— I  193 


THE  STORi"  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

skins  bad  dried  upon  the  bones :  the  ignorant  would  imagine  them  to  be 
sleeping ;  but,  from  the  want  of  food,  they  had  died,  and  tasted  mortality. 
Upon  this  the  Emir  Mousa  paused,  extolling  the  perfection  of  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted!),  and  his  holiness,  and  contemplating  the  beauty  of  that 
palace,  and  its  strong  construction,  and  its  wonderful  fabrication  in  the  most 
beautiful  form  and  with  the  firmest  architecture  ;  and  most  of  its  decoration 
was  in  ultramarine.     Around  it  were  inscribed  these  verses  : 

Consider  what  thou  beholdest,   O  man ;    and  be  on  thy  guard  before   thou  de- 

partest ; 
And  prepare  good  provision,  that  thou  uiayest  enjoy  it;  for  every  dweller  in  a 

house  shall  depart. 
Consider  a  people  who   decorated  their  abodes,  and  in  the  dust  have  become 

pledged  for  their  actions. 
They  built,  but  their  buildings  availed  not ;  and  treasured,  but  their  wealth  did 

not  save  them  when  the  term  had  expired. 
How  often  they  hoped  for  what  was  not  decreed  them!     But  they  passed  to  the 

graves,  and  hope  did  not  profit  them ; 
And  from  their  high  and  glorious  state  they  were  removed  to  the  narrowness  of 

the  sepulcher.     Evil  is  their  abode  ! 
Then  there  came  to  them  a  crier,  after  they  were  buried,  saying,  Where  are  the 

thrones,  and  the  crowns,  and  the  apparel  ? 
Where  are  the  faces  which  were  veiled  and  curtained,  and  on  which,  for  their 

beauty,  proverbs  were  composed  ? 
And  the  grave  plainly  answered  the  inquirer  for  them,  As  to  the  cheeks,  the  rose 

is  gone  from  them. 
Long  time  they  ate  and  drank;  but  now,  after  pleasant  eating,  they  themselves 

have  been  eaten. 

And  the  Emir  Mousa  wept  until  he  became  senseless;  and  afterward, 
having  given  orders  to  write  these  verses,  he  went  on  into  the  interior  of 
the  palace.  There  he  beheld  a  great  hall,  and  four  large  and  lofty  cham- 
bers, each  one  fronting  another,  wide,  decorated  with  gold  and  silver,  and 
with  various  colors.  In  the  midst  of  the  hall  was  a  great  fountain  of  ala- 
baster, over  which  was  a  canopy  of  brocade  ;  and  in  those  chambers  were 
places  [one  in  each  chamber]  containing  decorated  fountains,  and  tanks 
lined  with  marble ;  and  channels  of  water  flowed  along  the  floors  of  those 
chambers,  the  four  streams  meeting  together  in  a  great  tank  lined  with 
marbles  of  various  colors.  The  Emir  Mousa  then  said  to  the  Sheikh  Ab- 
delsamad,  Enter  these  chambers  with  us.  So  they  entered  the  first  cham- 
ber ;  and  they  found  it  filled  with  gold,  and  with  white  silver,  and  pearls, 
and  jewels,  and  jacinths,  and  precious  minerals.  They  found  in  it  also 
chests  full  of  red,  and  yellow,  and  white  brocades.  And  they  went  thence 
to  the  second  chamber,  and  opened  a  closet  in  it,  and  lo,  it  was  filled  with 
arms  and  weapons  of  war,  consisting  of  gilded  helmets,  and  Davidean  coats 
of  mail,  and  Indian  swords,  and  lances  of  Khat  Hejer,*  and  maces  of  Ka- 
rezm,  and  other  instruments  of  war  and  battle.  Then  they  passed  thence 
to  the  third  chamber,  in  which  they  found  closets  having  upon  their  doors 
closed  locks,  and  over  them  were  curtains  worked  with  various  kinds  of 
embroidery.  They  opened  one  of  these  closets,  and  found  it  filled  with 
weapons  decorated  with  varieties  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  jewels.  And 
they  went  thence  to  the  fourth  chamber,  where  also  they  fouud  closets, 
one  of  which  they  opened,  and  they  found  it  full  of  utensils  for  food  and 
lrink,  consisting  of  various  vessels  of  gold  and  silver,  and  saucers  of  crys- 

*  A  celebrated  mart  for  spears. 
194 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

tal,  and  cups  set  with  brilliant  pearls,  and  cups  of  carnelian,  and  other  things. 
So  they  began  to  take  what  suited  them  of  those  things,  and  each  of  the 
soldiers  carried  off  what  he  could.  And  when  they  determined  to  go  forth 
from  those  chambers,  they  saw  there  a  door  of  teak-wood  inlaid  with  ivory 
and  ebony,  and  adorned  with  plates  of  brilliant  gold,  in  the  midst  of  that  pal- 
ace. Over  it  was  hung  a  curtain  of  silk  worked  with  various  kinds  of  em- 
broidery, and  upon  it  were  locks  of  white  silver,  to  be  opened  by  artifice, 
without  a  key.  The  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  therefore  advanced  to  those  locks, 
and  he  opened  them  by  his  knowledge,  and  boldness,  and  excellent  skill. 
And  the  party  entered  a  passage  paved  with  marble,  upon  the  sides  of 
which  were  hangings  whereon  were  figured  various  wild  beasts  and  birds, 
all  these  being  worked  with  red  gold  and  white  silver,  and  their  eyes  were 
of  pearls  and  jacinths  :  whosoever  beheld  them  was  confounded.  Next 
they  came  to  a  saloon,  on  beholding  which  the  Emir  Mousa  and  the  Sheikh 
Abdelsamad  were  amazed  at  its  construction. 

They  then  passed  on,  and  found  a  saloon  constructed  of  polished  marble 
adorned  with  jewels.  The  beholder  imagined  that  upon  its  floor  was  run- 
ning water,  and  if  any  one  walked  upon  it  he  would  slip.  The  Emir 
Mousa  therefore  ordered  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  to  throw  upon  it  some- 
thing, that  they  might  be  enabled  to  walk  on  it;  and  he  did  this,  and  con- 
trived so  that  they  passed  on.  And  they  found  in  it  a  great  dome  con- 
structed of  stones  gilded  with  red  gold.  The  party  had  not  beheld,  in  all 
that  they  had  seen,  any  thing  more  beautiful  than  it.  And  in  the  midst  of 
that  dome  was  a  great  dome-crowned  structure  of  alabaster,  around  which 
were  lattice  windows,  decorated,  and  adorned  with  oblong  emeralds,  such 
as  none  of  the  kings  could  procure.  In  it  was  a  pavilion  of  brocade,  raised 
upon  columns  of  red  gold,  and  within  this  were  birds,  the  feet  of  which 
were  of  emeralds ;  beneath  each  bird  was  a  net  of  brilliant  pearls,  spread 
over  a  fountain  ;  and  by  the  brink  of  the  fountain  was  placed  a  couch  adorn- 
ed with  pearls,  and  jewels,  and  jacinths,  whereon  was  a  damsel  resembling 
the  shining  sun.  Eyes  had  not  beheld  one  more  beautiful.  Upon  her  waa 
a  garment  of  brilliant  pearls,  on  her  head  was  a  crown  of  red  gold,  with  a 
fillet  of  jewels,  on  her  neck  was  a  necklace  of  jewels,  in  the  middle  of  which 
were  i-efulgent  gems,  and  upon  her  forehead  were  two  jewels  the  light  of 
which  was  like  that  of  the  sun ;  and  she  seemed  as  though  she  were  look- 
ing at  the  people,  and  observing  them  to  the  right  and  left.  When  the 
Emir  Mousa  beheld  this  damsel,  he  wondered  extremely  at  her  loveliness, 
and  was  confounded  by  her  beauty,  and  the  redness  of  her  cheeks,  and  the 
blackness  of  her  hair.  Any  beholder  would  imagine  that  she  was  alive,  and 
not  dead.  And  they  said  to  her,  Peace  be  to  thee,  O  damsel !  But  Taleb 
the  son  of  Sahl  said  to  the  emir,  May  God  amend  thy  state  !  Know  that 
this  damsel  is  dead.  There  is  no  life  in  her.  How,  then,  can  she  return 
the  salutation  ?  And  he  added,  O  emir,  she  is  skillfully  embalmed  ;  and  her 
eyes  have  been  taken  out  after  death,  and  quicksilver  hath  been  put  beneath 
them,  after  which  they  have  been  restored  to  their  places ;  so  they  gleam, 
and  whenever  the  air  putteth  them  in  motion,  the  beholder  imagineth  that 
she  twinkleth  her  eyes,  though  she  is  dead.  Upon  this  the  Emir  Mousa 
said,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  God,  who  hath  subdued  his  servants  by 
death !  And  as  to  the  couch  upon  which  was  the  damsel,  it  had  steps,  and 
upon  the  steps  were  two  slaves,  one  of  them  white  and  the  other  black  ; 
and  in  the  hand  of  one  of  them  was  a  weapon  of  steel,  and  in  the  haud  of 

195 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

the  other  a  jeweled  sword,  that  blinded  the  eyes ;  and  before  the  two 
slaves  was  a  tablet  of  gold,  whereon  was  read  an  inscription,  which  was 
this  : 

In  the  name  of  God,  the  Compassionate,  the  Merciful.  Praise  be  to  God,  the  Creator 
of  man  ■  and  He  is  the  Lord  of  lords,  and  the  Cause  of  causes.  In  the  name  of  God, 
the  Everlasting,  the  Eternal;  in  the  name  of  God,  the  Ordainer  of  fate  and  destiny.  O 
son  of  Adam,  how  ignorant  art  thou  in  the  long  indulgence  of  hope !  and  how  unmind- 
ful art  thou  of  the  arrival  of  the  predestined  period  !  Kuowest  thou  not  that  death 
hath  called  for  thee,  and  hath  advanced  to  seize  thy  soul?  Be  ready,  then,  for  de- 
parture, and  make  provision  in  the  world ;  for  thou  wilt  quit  it  soon.  Where  is  Adam, 
the  father  of  mankind?  Where  are  Noah  and  his  offspring  ?  Where  are  the  sovereign 
kings  and  Casars  ?  Where  are  the  kings  of  India  aud  Irak?  Where  are  the  kings 
of  the  regions  of  the  earth  ?  Where  are  the  Amalekites  ?  Where  are  the  mighty 
monarchs?  The  mansions  are  void  of  their  presence,  and  they  have  quitted  their 
families  and  homes.  Where  are  the  kings  of  the  foreigners  and  the  Arabs  ?  They 
have  all  died,  and  become  rotten  bones.  Where  are  the  lords  of  high  degree?  They 
have  all  died.  Where  are  Korah  and  Haman  ?  Where  is  Sheddad  the  son  of  Add  ? 
Where  are  Canaan  aud  Pharaoh?  God  hath  cut  them  off,  and  it  is  He  who  cutteth 
short  the  lives  of  mankind,  and  he  hath  made  the  mansions  to  be  void  of  their  presence. 
Did  they  prepare  provision  for  the  day  of  resurrection,  and  make  themselves  ready  to 
reply  to  the  Lord  of  men  ?  O  thou,  if  thou  know  me  not,  I  will  acquaint  thee  with  my 
name  and  my  descent.  I  am  Tadmor,  the  daughter  of  the  King  of  the  Amalekites,  of 
those  who  ruled  the  countries  with  equity.  I  possessed  what  none  of  the  kings  pos- 
sessed, and  ruled  with  justice,  and  acted  impartially  toward  my  subjects:  I  gave  and 
bestowed,  and  I  lived  a  long  time  in  the  enjoyment  of  happiness  and  an  easy  life,  and 
emancipated  female  and  male  slaves.  Thus  I  did  until  the  summoner  of  death  came 
to  my  abode,  and  disasters  occurred  before  me.  And  the  case  was  this :  Seven  years 
in  succession  came  upon  us,  during  which  no  water  descended  on  us  from  heaven,  nor 
did  any  grass  grow  for  us  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  So  we  ate  what  food  we  had  in 
our  dwellings,  and  after  that  we  fell  upon  the  beasts  and  ate  them,  and  there  remained 
nothing.  Upon  this,  therefore,  I  caused  the  wealth  to  be  brought,  and  meted  it  with  a 
measure,  and  sent  it  by  trusty  men,  who  went  about  with  it  through  all  the  districts, 
not  leaving  unvisited  a  single  large  city,  to  seek  for  some  food.  But  they  found  it  not; 
and  they  returned  to  us  with  the  wealth,  after  a  long  absence.  So  thereupon  we  ex- 
posed to  view  our  riches  and  our  treasures,  locked  the  gates  of  the  fortresses  in  our 
city,  and  submitted  ourselves  to  the  decree  of  our  Lord,  committing  our  case  to  our 
Master ;  and  thus  we  all  died,  as  thou  beholdest,  and  left  what  we  had  built  and  what 
we  had  treasured.  This  is  the  story:  and  after  the  substance  there  remaineth  not 
aught  save  the  vestige. 

And  they  looked  at  the  lower  part  of  the  tablet,  and  saw  inscribed  upon  it 
these  verses : 

Child  of  Adam,  let  not  hope  make  game  of  thee.     From  all  that  thy  hands  have 

treasured  thou  shalt  be  removed. 
I  see  thee  desirous  of  the  world  aud  its  embellishments ;  and  the  past  generations 

have  pursued  the  same  course. 
They  acquired  wealth,  both  lawful  and  forbidden ;  but  it  repelled  not  fate  when 

the  term  expired: 
They  led  troops  in  multitudes,  and  collected  riches ;  and  they  left  their  wealth 

and  buildings,  and  departed 
To  the  narrow  graves,  and  laid  down  in  the  dust;  aud  there  they  have  remained, 

pledged  for  their  actions  ; 
As  if  the  company  of  travelers  had  put  down  their  baggage  during  night  in  a  house 

where  was  no  food  for  guests, 
And  its  owner  had  said  to  them,  O  people,  there  is  not  any  lodging  for  you  in  it. 

So  they  packed  after  alighting, 
And  they  all  thereupon  became  fearful  and  timid  ;  neither  halting  nor  journeying 

was  pleasant  unto  them. 
Then  prepare  good  provision  that  will  rejoice  thee  to  morrow ;  and  act  not  save 

agreeably  with  the  fear  of  thy  Lord. 

And  upon  the  tablet  were  also  inscribed  these  words : 
196 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 

Whoso  arriveth  at  our  city,  and  entereth  it,  God  facilitating  liis  entrance  into  it,  let 
him  take  of  the  wealth  what  he  can,  but  not  touch  any  thing  that  is  on  my  body ;  for 
it  is  the  covering  of  my  person,  and  the  attire  with  which  I  am  fitted  forth  from  the 
world.  Therefore  let  him  fear  God,  and  not  seize  aught  of  it;  for  he  would  destroy 
himself.  I  have  caused  this  to  be  an  admonition  from  me  unto  him,  and  a  charge  which 
I  give  him  in  confidence.  And  peace  be  on  you!  I  beg  God,  moreover,  to  save  you 
from  the  evil  of  trials  and  sickness. 

The  Emir  Mousa,  when  he  heard  these  words,  again  wept  so  violently 
that  he  became  insensible;  and  after  he  had  recovered,  he  wrote  all  that 
he  saw,  and  was  admonished  by  what  he  witnessed.  He  then  said  to  his 
companions,  Bring  the  sacks,  and  fill  them  with  part  of  these  riches,  and 
these  vessels,  and  rarities,  and  jewels.  And  thereupon  Taleb  the  son  of 
Sahl  said  to  the  Emir  Mousa,  O  emir,  shall  we  leave  this  damsel  with  the 
things  that  are  upon  her  ?  They  are  things  that  have  no  equal,  nor  is  the 
like  of  them  at  any  time  found,  and  they  are  more  than  the  riches  thou 
hast  taken,  and  will  be  the  best  present  by  which  thou  mayest  ingratiate 
thyself  with  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful.  But  the  emir  replied,  O  thou, 
heardest  thou  not  that  which  the  damsel  hath  given  as  a  charge,  in  the  in- 
scription upon  this  tablet  1  Moreover,  and  especially,  she  hath  given  it  as 
a  charge  offered  in  confidence,  and  we  are  not  of  the  people  of  treachery. 
The  Vizier  Taleb,  however,  said,  And  on  account  of  these  words  wilt  thou 
leave  these  riches  and  these  jewels,  when  she  is  dead  ?  What,  then,  should 
she  do  with  these  things,  which  are  the  ornaments  of  the  world,  and  the 
decoration  of  the  living  ?  With  a  garment  of  cotton  might  this  damsel  be 
covered,  and  we  are  more  worthy  of  the  things  than  she.  Then  he  drew 
near  to  the  steps,  and  ascended  them  until  he  reached  the  spot  between 
the  two  men  [the  slaves  before  mentioned],  when  lo,  one  of  these  two 
smote  him  upon  his  back,  and  the  other  smote  him  with  the  sword  that 
was  in  his  hand,  and  struck  off  his  head,  and  he  fell  down  dead.  So  the 
Emir  Mousa  said,  May  God  not  regard  with  mercy  thy  resting-place! 
There  was  in  these  riches  a  sufficiency ;  and  covetousness  doth  doubt- 
less dishonor  the  person  in  whom  it  existeth !  He  thereupon  gave  orders 
for  the  entry  of  the  troops,  who  accordingly  entered,  and  they  loaded  the 
camels  with  part  of  those  riches  and  minerals  ;  after  which  the  Emir  Mou- 
sa commanded  them  to  close  the  gate  as  it  was  before. 

They  then  proceeded  along  the  sea-coast  until  they  came  in  sight  of  a 
high  mountain  overlooking  the  sea.  In  it  were  many  caves,  and  lo,  in  these 
was  a  people  of  the  blacks,  clad  in  hides,  and  with  bournouses  of  hides 
upon  their  heads,  whose  language  was  not  known.  And  when  they  saw 
the  troops,  they  ran  away  from  them,  and  fled  to  those  caves,  while  their 
women  and  their  children  stood  at  the  entrances  of  the  caves.  So  the 
Emir  Mousa  said,  O  Sheikh  Abdelsamad,  what  are  these  people  ?  And 
he  answered,  These  are  the  objects  of  the  inquiry  of  the  Prince  of  tho 
Faithful.  They  therefore  alighted,  and  the  tents  were  pitched,  and  the 
riches  were  put  down  ;  and  they  had  not  rested  when  the  king  of  the 
blacks  came  down  from  the  mountain  and  drew  near  to  the  troops.  He 
was  acquainted  with  tho  Arabic  language  ;  wherefore,  when  he  came  to  the 
Emir  Mousa,  he  saluted  him ;  and  the  emir  returned  his  salutation  and 
treated  him  with  honor.  Then  the  king  of  the  blacks  said  to  the  emir, 
Are  ye  of  mankind,  or  of  the  Genii?  The  emir  answered,  As  to  us,  we 
are  of  mankind ;  and  as  to  you,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  ye  are  of  the 
Genii,  because  of  your  seclusion  in  this  mountain  that  is  separated  from 

197 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 


■* .  - 


i*/-' 


Mountain  and  sea  of  Karkar. 


the  world,  and  because  of  the  greatness  of  your  make.  But  the  king  of 
the  blacks  replied,  Nay,  we  are  a  people  of  the  race  of  Adam,  of  the  sona 
of  Ham  the  son  of  Noah,  on  whom  be  peace  !  And  as  to  this  sea,  it  is 
known  by  the  name  of  Karkar.  So  the  Emir  Mousa  said  to  him,  And 
whence  obtained  ye  knowledge,  when  there  hath  not  come  unto  you  any 
prophet  divinely  inspired  in  such  a  country  as  this  ?  He  answered,  Know, 
O  emir,  that  there  appeareth  unto  us,  from  this  sea,  a  person  diffusing  a 
light  whereby  the  surrounding  tracts  are  illuminated  ;  aud  he  proclaimeth, 
with  a  voice  which  the  distant  and  the  near  hear,  O  sous  of  Ham,  be 
abashed  at  Him  who  seeth  and  is  not  seen  ;  and  say,  There  is  no  deity  but 
God :  Mohammed  is  the  Apostle  of  God.  And  I  am  Abulabbas  Elkader. 
Before  that  we  used  to  worship  one  another ;  but  he  called  us  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Lord  of  mankind.  Then  he  said  to  the  Emir  Mousa,  He  hath 
also  taught  us  some  words  to  say.  And  what,  asked  the  emir,  are  those 
words  ?  He  answered,  They  are  these  :  There  is  no  deity  but  God  alone  : 
He  hath  no  partner :  to  Him  belongeth  dominion,  and  to  Him  belongeth 
praise  :  He  giveth  life  and  killeth  ;  and  he  is  able  to  do  every  thing.  And 
198 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 


Negroes. 

we  seek  not  access  to  God  (to  whom  be  ascribed  might  and  glory  !)  save  by 
these  words,  nor  know  we  any  others.  Also,  on  the  eve  of  every  Friday 
we  see  a  light  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  we  hear  a  voice  saying, 
Perfect!  Holy!  Lord  of  the  angels  and  the  Spirit!  Whatsoever  God 
willeth  cometh  to  pass,  and  what  he  willeth  not  cometh  not  to  pass  !  Every 
benefit  from  God  is  a  gratuitous  favor  ;  and  there  is  no  strength  nor  power 
but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great! 

The  Emir  Mousa  then  said  to  him,  We  are  the  associates  of  the  King 
of  tho  Faithful,  Abdelmelek  the  son  of  Marwan  ;  and  we  have  come  on  ac- 
count of  the  bottles  of  brass  that  are  here  in  your  sea,  and  wherein  are  the 
devils  imprisoned  from  the  time  of  Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of 
whom  be  peace!).  He  hath  commanded  us  to  bring  him  some  of  them, 
that  lie  may  see  them,  and  divert  himself  by  the  view  of  them.  And  tho 
king  of  the  blacks  replied,  Most  willingly.  Then  he  feasted  him  with  fish, 
and  ordered  the  divers  to  bring  up  from  the  sea  some  of  the  bottles  of  Sol- 

109 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  CITY  OF  BRASS. 


omon  ;  and  they  brought  up  for  them  twelve  bottles ;  wherewith  the  Emir 
Mousa  was  delighted,  and  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad  also,  and  the  soldiers,  on 
account  of  the  accomplishment  of  the  affair  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful. 
The  Emir  Mousa  thereupon  presented  to  the  king  of  the  blacks  many 
presents,  and  gave  him  large  gifts.  In  like  manner,  too,  the  king  of  the 
blacks  gave  to  the  Emir  Mousa  a  present  consisting  of  wonders  of  the  sea, 
in  the  form  of  human  beings,  and  said  to  him,  Your  entertainment  for 
these  three  days  shall  be  of  these  fish.  Aud  the  emir  replied,  We  must 
carry  with  us  some  of  them,  that  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  may  see  them  ; 
for  thereby  will  his  heart  be  pleased  more  than  by  the  bottles  of  Solomon. 

Then  they  bade  him  farewell,  and  they  journeyed  back  until  they  came 
to  the  land  of  Syria,  and  went  in  to  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful;  where- 
upon the  Emir  Mousa  acquainted  him  with  all  that  he  had  seen,  and  all 
that  had  occurred  to  him  with  respect  to  the  verses,  and  histories,  and  ad- 
monitions, and  told  him  of  the  case  of  Taleb  the  son  of  Sahl.  And  the 
Prince  of  the  Faithful  said  to  him,  Would  that  I  had  been  with  you,  that 
I  might  have  beheld  what  ye  beheld  !  He  then  took  the  bottles,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  open  one  after  another,  and  the  devils  came  forth  from  them, 
saying,  Repentance  !  O  Prophet  of  God  !  We  will  not  return  to  the  like 
conduct  ever !  And  Abdelmelek  the  son  of  Marwan  wondered  at  this. 
But  as  to  the  damsels  of  the  sea,  with  the  like  of  which  the  king  of  the 
blacks  feasted  them,  they  made  for  them  troughs  of  wood,  which  they  filled 
with  water,  and  into  these  they  put  them.  They  died,  however,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  intensity  of  the  heat.  After  this  the  Prince  of  the  Faith- 
ful caused  the  riches  to  be  brought  before  him,  and  divided  them  among 
the  Faithful.  And  he  said,  God  hath  not  bestowed  upon  any  one  the  like 
of  what  he  bestowed  upon  Solomon  the  son  of  David.  Then  the  Emir 
Mousa  begged  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  that  he  might  appoint  his  son  in 
his  place  as  governor  of  the  province,  and  that  he  might  himself  go  to  the 
noble  Jerusalem,  there  to  worship  God.  So  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful 
appointed  his  son  to  the  government,  and  he  himself  went  to  the  noble 
Jerusalem,  and  he  died  there. 

This  is  the  end  of  that  which  hath  come  down  to  us.  of  the  history  of 
the  City  of  Brass,  entire.     And  God  is  all-knowing. 


200 


wji 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

COMMENCING   WITH   PART    OF    THE    SIX   HUNDRED   AND    SIXTH    NIGHT,   AND 
ENDING    WITH    PART    OF    THE    SIX    HUNDRED    AND    TWENTY-FOURTH. 

THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

A  merchant,  whose  name  was  Omar,  had  left  issue  consisting  of  three 
sons;  one  of  whom  was  named  Salim,  and  the  youngest  was  named  Jou- 
dar,  and  the  middle  one  was  named  Selim.  He  reared  them  until  they  be- 
came men  ;  but  he  loved  Joudar  more  than  his  two  brothers  ;  and  when  it 
became  manifest  that  he  so  loved  Joudar,  jealousy  seized  them,  and  they 
hated  Joudar,  and  it  was  evident  to  their  father  that  they  hated  their  broth- 
er. Now  their  father  was  of  in-eat  age,  and  he  feared  that,  when  he  died, 
Joudar  would  suffer  trouble  from  his  brothers  :  so  he  summoned  several 
persons  of  his  family,  and  some  of  the  cadi's  dividers  of  property,  and 
some  of  tho  men  of  science,  and  said,  Bring  ye  to  me  my  wealth  and  my 
stull's.  Accordingly,  they  brought  to  him  all  the  wealth  and  the  staffs  ;  and 
ho  said,  O  men,  divide  this  wealth  and  these  stuffs  into  four  portions  con- 
I*  201 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

formably  to  the  law.  They  therefore  divided  the  property  ;  and  he  gave 
to  each  son  a  portion,  and  himself  took  a  portion,  saying,  This  was  my  prop- 
erty, and  I  have  divided  it  among  them,  and  there  remaineth  not  to  them 
aught  to  claim  of  me,  nor  aught  for  one  to  claim  of  another:  so  when  I 
die,  discord  will  not  ensue  among  them  ;  for  I  have  divided  among  them 
the  inheritance  during  my  life,  and  this  property  that  I  myself  have  taken 
shall  be  for  my  wife,  the  mother  of  these  children,  that  she  may  have  re- 
course to  it  for  her  subsistence. 

Then,  after  a  short  period,  their  father  died.  But  neither  of  the  two 
envious  brothers  was  content  with  that  which  their  father  Omar  had  done  : 
on  the  contrary,  they  demanded  more  of  Joudar,  and  said  to  him,  The 
wealth  of  our  father  is  in  thy  possession.  He  therefore  referred  his  case 
with  them  to  the  judges,  and  the  Faithful  who  were  present  at  the  time 
of  the  division  came  and  testified  of  that  which  they  knew,  and  the  judge 
forbade  their  injuring  one  another  ;  but  Joudar  lost  a  considerable  sum  of 
money,  and  his  brothers  lost  in  like  manner,  by  reason  of  the  litigation ; 
and  they  left  him  a  while.  Then  they  plotted  against  him  a  second  time, 
and  he  referred  his  case  with  them  to  the  judges;  so  they  lost  a  consider- 
able sum  of  money  again,  on  account  of  the  judges.  And  they  ceased  not 
to  seek  his  harm,  appealing  from  tyrant  to  tyrant,  they  losing  and  he  los- 
ing, until  they  had  given  all  their  wealth  as  food  to  the  tyrants,  and  the 
three  became  paupers.  The  two  brothers  of  Joudar  then  came  to  their 
mother,  and,  mocking  her,  took  her  money,  and  beat  her,  and  turned  her 
out.  She  therefore  came  to  her  son  Joudar,  and  said  to  him,  Thy  two 
brothers  have  done  unto  me  thus  and  thus,  and  taken  my  money.  And 
she  began  to  curse  them  ;  whereupon  Joudar  said  to  her,  O  my  mother, 
do  not  curse  them ;  for  God  will  requite  each  of  them  for  his  conduct. 
But,  O  my  mother,  I  have  become  poor,  and  my  two  brothers  are  poor, 
and  contention  occasioneth  the  loss  of  money.  I  have  contended  with 
them  much  before  the  judges,  and  it  profited  us  not  at  all ;  on  the  contrary, 
we  have  lost  all  that  our  father  left  us,  and  the  people  have  defamed  us  on 
account  of  our  giving  testimony  [one  against  another].  Shall  I  then  on 
thine  account  contend  with  them,  and  shall  we  refer  the  case  to  the  judg- 
es ?  This  is  a  thing  that  must  not  be.  Thou  shalt  only  reside  with  me, 
and  the  cake  of  bread  that  I  eat  I  will  leave  for  thee.  Pray  thou  for  me, 
and  God  will  supply  me  with  the  means  of  thy  subsistence  ;  and  do  thou 
leave  both  of  them  to  receive  from  God  the  recompense  of  their  conduct, 
and  console  thyself  with  the  saying  of  the  poet : 

If  an  ignorant  fellow  oppress  thee,  leave  him,  and  look  for  the  time  of  vengeance 

on  the  oppressor ; 
And  avoid  noxious  tyranny;  for  if  a  mountain  oppressed  a  mountain,  the  oppressor 

would  be  shattered. 

And  he  proceeded  to  soothe  the  mind  of  his  mother  until  she  consented  ; 
and  she  remained  with  him. 

He  then  procured  for  himself  a  net,  and  he  used  to  go  to  the  river  and 
the  lakes,  and  to  every  place  in  which  was  water :  every  day  he  went  to 
some  place ;  and  he  earned  one  day  ten,  and  one  day  twenty,  and  one  day 
thirty  [nusfs],*  which  he  expended  upon  his  mother,  and  he  ate  well  and 
drank  well.     But  his  two  brothers  neither  worked,  nor  sold,  nor  bought; 

*  Small  copper  coin. 
202 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

ruin,  and  destruction,  and  overtaking  calamity  entered  their  abode,  and 
they  had  consumed  what  they  had  taken  from  their  mother,  and  become 
of  the  number  of  the  wretched  paupers,  and  naked.  So  sometimes  they 
would  come  to  their  mother,  humbling  themselves  to  her  excessively,  and 
complaining  to  her  of  their  hunger;  and,  the  mother's  heart  being  compas- 
sionate, she  would  give  them  some  stinking  bread  ;  and  if  any  food  cooked 
the  day  before  were  there,  she  would  say  to  them,  Eat  it  quickly,  and  go 
before  your  brother  cometh  ;  for  it  will  not  be  agreeable  to  him,  and  it  will 
harden  his  heart  against  me,  and  ye  will  disgrace  me  with  him.  Where- 
fore they  would  eat  in  haste  and  go.  But  they  came  in  to  their  mother 
one  day,  and  she  put  for  them  some  cooked  meat  and  some  bread,  which 
they  proceeded  to  eat ;  and  lo,  their  brother  Joudar  entered.  So  his  moth- 
er was  abashed  and  confounded  at  the  sight  of  him,  fearing  that  he  would 
be  incensed  against  her,  and  she  hung  down  her  head  toward  the  ground 
in  her  abashment  at  her  son.  He,  however,  smiled  in  their  faces,  and  said, 
Welcome,  O  my  brothers  !  It  is  a  blessed  day.  What  hath  happened 
that  ye  have  visited  me  on  this  blessed  day  ?  And  he  embraced  them,  and 
loved  them,  and  said,  It  was  not  my  wish  that  ye  should  leave  me  deso- 
late, and  not  come  to  me,  nor  visit  me  nor  your  mother.  They  therefore 
replied,  By  Allah,  O  our  brother,  we  longed  to  see  thee,  and  nothing  hin- 
dered us  but  abashment  in  consequence  of  what  hath  happened  between 
us  and  thee;  but  we  have  repented  greatly.  This  was  the  doing  of  the 
devil  (may  God,  whose  name  be  exalted!  execrate  him!);  and  we  have 
no  blessing  excepting  thee  and  our  mother.  Joudar  rejoined,  I  have  no 
blessing  excepting  you  two.  And  his  mother  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  may 
God  whiten  thy  face,  and  may  God  increase  thy  prosperity !  Thou  art 
the  superior  [in  generosity],  O  my  son.  He  then  said,  Welcome  to  you 
both !  Reside  with  me  ;  for  God  is  bountiful,  and  good  things  with  me  are 
plentiful.  He  became  reconciled  to  them,  and  they  passed  the  night  with 
him,  and  supped  with  him,  and  on  the  following  day  they  breakfasted  with 
him ;  after  which  Joudar  took  up  the  net  and  went  forth,  relying  upon 
Providence.  His  two  brothers  also  went,  and  were  absent  until  noon, 
when  they  returned;  and  their  mother  put  before  them  the  dinner;  and 
in  the  evening  their  brother  came,  bringing  meat  and  vegetables.  In  this 
state  they  continued  for  a  period  of  a  month ;  Joudar  catching  fish  and 
selling  them,  and  expending  their  price  upon  his  mother  and  his  brothers, 
and  the  latter  eating  and  frolicking. 

Now  it  happened  one  day  that  Joudar  took  the  net  to  the  river,  and  cast 
it,  and  drew  it,  and  it  came  up  empty  ;  and  he  cast  it  a  second  time,  and  it 
came  up  empty.  He  therefore  said  within  himself,  There  are  no  fish  in 
this  place.  Then  he  removed  to  another  place,  and  there  cast  the  net ; 
but  again  it  came  up  empty.  And  he  removed  to  another  place,  and  ceased 
not  to  change  his  place  from  morning  to  evening;  but  caught  not  a  single 
minnow.  So  he  said,  Wonderful !  Are  the  fish  exhausted  from  the  river, 
or  what  is  the  cause  ?  He  then  put  the  net  upon  his  biick,  and  returned 
grieved  and  vexed,  suffering  anxiety  for  his  two  brothers  and  his  mother, 
and  not  knowing  wherewith  to  give  them  to  sup.  And  he  came  to  an  oven, 
and  saw  the  people  crowding  to  take  the  bread,  with  money  in  their  hands, 
and  the  baker  was  not  looking  toward  them.  Upon  this  he  stopped  and 
sighed;  and  the  baker  said  to  him.  Welcome  to  thee,  O  Joudar!  Dost 
thou  want  bread  ?     And  he  was  silent ;  but  the  baker  said  to  him,  If  thou 

203 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR 


!§■ 


fill 


i+iiili 


";'.Iin  irrrv: . 


Joudar  at  the  shop  of  the  baker. 

have  not  with  thee  money,  take  what  will  suffice  thee,  and  thou  shalt  have 
a  delay.  So  Joudar  said,  Give  me  bread  for  teu  nusfs.  The  baker  replied, 
Take  these  ten  nusfs  besides,  and  to-morrow  bring  me  fish  for  the  twenty. 
And  Joudar  said,  On  the  head  and  the  eye.  He  therefore  took  the  bread  and 
the  ten  nusfs,  and  bought  with  these  some  meat  and  vegetables,  saying,  To- 
morrow the  Lord  will  dispel  the  trouble  of  my  case.  He  went  to  his  abode, 
and  his  mother  cooked  the  food,  and  he  supped  and  slept ;  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  he  took  the  net.  His  mother  said  to  him,  Remain  and  breakfast. 
But  he  replied,  Breakfast  thou  with  my  two  brothers.  And  he  repaired  to 
the  river,  and  cast  the  net  in  it  a  first  time,  and  a  second,  and  a  third,  and 
changed  his  place  ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  do  thus  until  the  time  of  afternoon 
prayers;  but  nothing  fell  to  his  lot;  wherefore  he  took  up  the  net  and 
went  away  vexed.  Now  his  way  was  none  other  than  that  which  led  by 
the  baker ;  and  when  Joudar  came  to  him,  the  baker  saw  him,  and  counted 
out  to  him  the  bread  and  the  money,  saying  to  him,  Come,  take  and  go. 
201 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

If  there  is  nothing  to-day,  there  will  be  to-morrow.  And  Joudar  desired 
to  excuse  himself  to  him;  but  the  baker  said  to  him,  Go.  No  excuse  is 
necessary.  Hadst  thou  caught  any  thing,  it  had  been  with  thee  ;  and  when 
I  saw  thee  empty-handed,  I  knew  that  nothing  had  betided  thee ;  and  if 
to-morrow  nothing  betide  thee,  come,  take  bread,  and  be  not  abashed. 
Thou  shalt  have  a  delay.  Then,  on  the  third  day,  he  went  from  lake  to 
lake  until  the  time  of  afternoon  prayers  ;  but  saw  not  in  them  aught.  So 
he  went  to  the  baker,  and  received  from  him  the  bread  and  the  money. 
And  thus  he  continued  to  do  for  a  period  of  seven  days. 

He  then  became  straitened  in  mind,  and  said  to  himself,  Go  to-day  to 
the  Lake  of  Karoun.  And  when  he  had  arrived  there,  he  was  about  to 
cast  the  net,  and  was  not  aware  of  it  when  there  approached  him  a  Mo- 
grabin*  riding  upon  a  mule,  and  wearing  a  magnificent  dress,  and  on  the 
back  of  the  mule  was  a  pair  of  embroidered  saddle-bags,  and  every  thing 
that  was  on  the  mule  was  embroidered.     The  Mograbin  alighted  from  the 


Mograbin  accosting  Joudar. 

back  of  the  mule,  and  said,  Peace  be  on  thee,  O  Joudar,  O  son  of  Omar ! 
So  Joudar  replied,  And  on  thee  be  peace,  O  my  master  the  pilgrim  !  And 
the  Mograbin  said  to  him,  O  Joudar,  I  have  an  affair  for  thee  to  perform ; 
and  if  thou  comply  with  my  desire,  thou  wilt  obtain  abundant  good  fortune, 
and  be  on  account  thereof  my  companion,  and  perform  for  me  my  affairs. 
Joudar  therefore  said,  O  my  master  the  pilgrim,  tell  me  what  is  in  thy 
mind,  and  I  will  obey  thee  :  I  have  no  opposition  to  show  thee.  And  the 
Mograbin  said  to  him,  Recite  the  Opening  Chapter  of  the  Koran.  So  he 
recited  it  with  him.  And  after  this  the  Mograbin  took  forth  and  gave  him 
a  chord  of  silk,  and  said  to  him,  Bind  my  hands  behind  me,  and  make  my 
bond  very  tight ;  then  throw  me  into  the  lake,  and  wait  over  me  a  little  ; 
and  if  thou  see  me  put  forth  my  hands  from  the  water,  raising  them  high, 
before  I  appear,  cast  thou  the  net  upon  me,  and  draw  me  out  quickly ;  but 
if  thou  see  me  put  forth  my  feet,  know  that  I  am  dead.     In  this  case,  leave 


*  A  native  of  Northern  Africa. 


205 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

me,  and  take  the  mule  and  the  saddle-bags,  and  go  to  the  market  of  the 
merchants:  thou  wilt  find  a  Jew,  whose  name  is  Shumia;  and  give  thou 
to  him  the  mule,  and  he  will  give  thee  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  :  so  take 
them,  and  conceal  the  secret,  and  go  thy  way.  He  therefore  bound  his 
hands  tightly  behind  him,  the  Mograbin  saying  to  him,  Pull  tightly  the 
bonds.  Then  the  latter  said,  Push  me  until  thou  shalt  have  thrown  me 
into  the  lake.  Accordingly,  he  pushed  him  and  threw  him  into  it ;  where- 
upon he  sank ;  and  Joudar  stood  waiting  for  him  a  considerable  time ;  and 
lo,  the  feet  of  the  Mograbin  came  forth.  Therefore  Joudar  knew  that 
he  was  dead,  and  he  took  the  mule  and  left  him,  and  went  to  the  market 
of  the  merchants,  where  he  saw  the  Jew  sitting  upon  a  chair  at  the  door 


Joudar  leading  the  mule  to  the  Jew. 


of  the  magazine.  And  when  he  saw  the  mule,  the  Jew  said,  Verily  the 
man  hath  perished.  Then  he  said,  Naught  caused  him  to  perish  save  covet- 
ousness.  And  he  took  from  him  the  mule,  and  gave  him  a  hundred  pieces 
of  gold,  charging  him  to  conceal  the  secret.  So  Joudar  took  the  pieces  of 
gold,  and  went,  and  took  as  much  bread  as  he  required  of  the  baker,  saying 
20G 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

to  him,  Take  this  piece  of  gold.  He  therefore  took  it,  and  calculated  what 
was  owing  to  him,  and  replied,  I  have  yet  to  give  thee  two  days'  bread. 
Joudar  then  went  from  the  baker  to  the  butcher,  to  whom  lie  gave  another 
piece  of  gold,  and  he  took  the  meat,  saying  to  the  butcher,  Retain  the  rest 
of  the  piece  of  gold  in  account.  He  bought  also  some  vegetables,  and  went ; 
and  he  saw  his  two  brothers  begging  of  his  mother  something  to  eat,  and 
she  was  saying  to  them,  Wait  until  your  brother  shall  have  come ;  for  I 
have  nothing.  So  he  went  in  to  them,  and  said  to  them,  Take,  eat.  And 
they  fell  upon  the  bread  like  ghouls.  Then  Joudar  gave  to  his  mother  the 
rest  of  the  gold,  saying,  Take,  O  my  mother ;  and  when  my  brothers  come, 
give  to  them,  that  they  may  buy  and  eat  during  my  absence. 

He  passed  that  night,  and  when  he  arose  in  the  morning,  he  took  the 
net  and  went  to  the  Lake  of  Karoun,  and,  stopping  there,  he  was  about 
to  cast  the  net.  And  lo,  another  Mograbin  approached,  riding  upon  a  mule, 
and  more  bedecked  than  he  who  had  died  ;  and  he  had  with  him  a  pair  of 
saddle-bags,  in  which  were  two  little  boxes  :  in  each  side  of  it  was  a  little 
box.  And  he  said,  Peace  be  on  thee,  O  Joudar!  So  Joudar  replied,  On 
thee  be  peace,  O  my  master  the  pilgrim  !  And  the  Mograbin  said,  Did 
there  come  to  thee  yesterday  a  Mograbin  riding  upon  a  mule  like  this  mule  ? 
Upon  this  Joudar  feared  and  denied,  saying,  I  saw  not  any  one — fearing 
that  he  would  say,  Whither  is  he  gone  ?  and  if  he  answered  him,  He  was 
drowned  in  the  lake — perhaps  he  might  say,  Thou  drownedst  him.  It  was 
therefore  impossible  for  him  to  do  aught  save  to  deny.  The  Mograbin  then 
said  to  him,  O  poor  man,  this  was  my  brother,  and  he  hath  gone  before 
me.  Joudar  replied,  I  have  no  knowledge  of  him.  But  the  Mograbin  re- 
joined, Didst  thou  not  bind  his  hands  behind  him,  and  throw  him  into  the 
lake,  and  did  he  not  say  to  thee,  If  my  hands  come  forth,  cast  upon  me  the 
net,  and  draw  me  out  quickly ;  but  if  my  feet  come  forth,  I  shall  be  dead, 
and  take  thou  the  mule,  and  give  it  to  the  Jew  Shumia,  and  he  will  give 
thee  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  ?  And  his  feet  came  forth,  and  thou  tookest 
the  mule,  and  gavest  it  to  the  Jew,  and  he  gave  thee  a  hundred  pieces  of 
gold.  So  Joudar  said,  Since  thou  knowest  this,  wherefore  dost  thou  ask 
mo  ?  The  Mograbin  answered,  It  is  my  desire  that  thou  do  with  me  as 
thou  didst  with  my  brother.  And  he  took  forth  and  gave  him  a  cord  of 
silk,  saying.  Bind  my  hands  behind  me,  and  throw  me  in ;  and  if  the  like 
of  that  which  befell  my  brother  befall  me,  take  the  mule,  and  give  it  to  the 
Jew,  and  receive  from  him  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold.  He  therefore  said 
to  him,  Advance.  Accordingly  he  advanced,  and  Joudar  bound  his  hands 
behind  him,  and  pushed  him  ;  whereupon  he  fell  into  the  lake  and  sank  ; 
and  he  waited  for  him  a  while,  and  his  feet  came  up.  Therefore  Joudar 
said.  He  is  gone  to  perdition  !  If  it  be  the  will  of  God,  every  day  may  Mo- 
grabins  come  to  me,  and  I  will  bind  their  hands  behind  them,  and  they 
shall  die,  and  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  from  each  one  who  dieth  will  suffice 
me.  He  then  took  the  mule  and  went  away  ;  and  when  the  Jew  saw 
him,  he  said  to  him,  The  other  hath  died  !  Joudar  replied,  May  thy  head 
long  survive !  And  the  Jew  said  to  him,  This  is  the  recompense  of  the 
covetous.  And  he  took  the  mule  from  him,  and  gave  him  a  hundred  pieces 
of  gold.  So  Joudar  took  them,  and  repaired  to  his  mother,  and  gave  them 
to  her ;  whereupon  she  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  whence  came  unto  thee 
this?  He  therefore  informed  her;  and  she  said  to  him,  Go  not  again 
henceforth  to  the  Lake  of  Karoun  ;  for  I  fear  for  thee  with  respect  to  the 

207 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

Mograbins.  But  he  replied,  O  my  mother,  I  throw  them  not  in  save  with 
their  own  consent ;  and  how  shall  I  act  ?  This  is  a  trade  from  which  there 
accrueth  to  us  every  day  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and  I  return  quickly  : 
so  by  Allah  I  will  not  desist  from  going  to  the  Lake  of  Karoun  until  all 
traces  of  the  Mograbins  cease,  and  not  one  of  them  remaineth. 

Then,  on  the  third  day,  he  went  and  stood  there;  and  lo,  there  came  a 
Mograbin  riding  upon  a  mule,  and  having  with  him  a  pair  of  saddle-bags; 
but  he  was  more  bedecked  than  the  two  former  ones;  and  he  said,  Peace 
be  on  thee,  O  Joudar,  O  son  of  Omar!  So  Joudar  said  within  himself, 
Whence  do  they  all  know  me  ?  Then  he  returned  his  salutation.  And 
the  Mograbin  said,  Have  any  Mograbins  passed  by  this  place  ?  Joudar 
answered  him,  Two.  The  Mograbin  asked  him,  Whither  went  they  ?  I 
bound  their  hands  behind  them,  answered  Joudar,  and  threw  them  into 
this  lake  ;  so  they  were  drowned  ;  and  the  same  end  is  for  thee  also.  And 
the  Mograbin  laughed,  and  said,  O  poor  man,  every  living  being  hath  his 
destiny.  He  then  alighted  from  the  mule,  and  said,  O  Joudar,  do  with  me 
as  thou  didst  with  both  of  them.  And  he  took  forth  the  cord  of  silk.  So 
Joudar  said  to  him,  Turn  round  thy  hands,  that  I  may  bind  them  behind 
thy  back ;  for  I  am  in  haste,  and  my  time  is  gone.  He  therefore  turned 
round  his  hands  toward  him,  and  Joudar  tied  them  behind  his  back  and 
pushed  him  ;  whereupon  he  fell  into  the  lake,  and  Joudar  stood  waiting  for 
him.  And  lo,  the  Mograbin  put  forth  to  him  his  hands,  saying  to  him,  Cast 
the  net,  O  poor  man  !     Accordingly,  he  cast  the  net  over  him  and  drew  it; 


Joudar  drawing  the  Mograbin  out  of  the  lake. 

and  behold,  he  was  grasping  in  his  hands  two  fishes,  the  color  of  which  was 
red,  like  coral ;  in  each  hand  a  fish ;  and  he  said  to  Joudar,  Open  the  two 
little  boxes.  So  he  opened  them  for  him ;  and  he  put  in  each  little  box  a 
fish,  and  covered  the  mouths  of  the  boxes  over  them.  Then  he  pressed 
Joudar  to  his  bosom,  and  kissed  him  on  the  right  cheek  and  on  the  left,  and 
said  to  him,  May  God  deliver  thee  from  every  difficulty !  By  Allah,  hadst 
thou  not  cast  the  net  over  me  and  drawn  me  out,  I  had  not  ceased  to 
grasp  these  two  fishes,  submerged  in  the  water,  until  I  had  died,  and  I  had 
not  been  able  to  come  forth  from  the  water.  And  Joudar  said  to  him,  O 
my  master  the  pilgrim,  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah  that  thou  acquaint  me  with 
the  affair  of  the  two  Who  were  drowned  before,  and  with  the  truth  of  the 
history  of  these  two  fishes,  and  with  the  affair  of  the  Jew. 

The  Mograbin  therefore  replied,  O  Joudar,  know  that  the  two  who  were 
drowned  before  were  my  brothers.     One  of  them  was  named  Abdelselam, 
208 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

and  the  other  was  named  Abdelahad;  I  am  named  Abdelsamad,  and  the 
Jew  is  our  brother ;  his  name  is  Abdelrahim  :  he  is  not  a  Jew,  but  a  Mo- 
hammedan, of  the  Malikee  sect.     Our  father  taught  us  the  arts  of  solving         \ 
mysteries,  and  opening  hidden  treasures,  and  enchantment ;  and  we  strove 
until  the  Marids  of  the  Genii,  and  the  Afrites,  served  us.     We  were  four 
brothers,  and  the  name  of  our  father  was  Abdelwadoud ;  and  our  father 
died,  leaving  to  us  an  abundance  of  things  ;  whereupon  we  divided  the  treas- 
ures, and  riches,  and  talismans,  until  we  came  to  the  books,  which  also  we 
divided.     But  there  ensued  among  us  a  dissension  respecting  a  book,  enti- 
tled The  Stories  of  the  Ancients,  the  like  of  which  existeth  not,  nor  can 
auy  one  give  its  price,  nor  can  its  equivalent  be  made  up  in  jewels ;  for  in 
it  are  given  accounts  of  all  the  hidden  treasures,  and  the  solutions  of  mys- 
teries.    Our  father  was  in  the  habit  of  making  use  of  it,  and  we  committed 
to  memory  a  little  of  its  contents,  and  each  of  us  desired  to  possess  it,  that 
he  might  know  what  was  in  it.     Now  when  a  dissension  occurred  between 
us,  there  was  present  with  us  our  father's  sheikh,  who  had  reared  him  and 
taught  him  enchantment  and  divination,  and  he  was  named  the  Diviner 
Elabtan  ;  and  he  said  to  us,  Bring  ye  the  book.     So  we  gave  him  the  book; 
and  he  said,  Ye  are  the  sons  of  my  son,  and  it  is  impossible  that  I  should 
wrong  any  one  of  you.     Then  let  him  who  desireth  to  take  this  book  go 
and  strive  to  accomplish  the  opening  of  the  treasure  of  Shamardal,  and 
bring  me  the  celestial  planisphere,  and  the  kohl-pot,  and  the  seal-ring,  and 
the  sword.     For  the  seal-ring  hath  a  Marid  that  serveth  it,  whose  name  is 
Rad-elcasif,  and  whoso  possesseth  this  seal-ring,  neither  king  nor  sultan  can 
prevail  against  him  ;  and  if  he  desire  to  possess  the  earth,  in  all  its  length 
and  breadth,  he  will  be  able  to  do  so.     And  as  to  the  sword,  if  it  be  drawn 
against  an  army,  and  its  bearer  shake  it,  he  will  rout  the  army  ;  and  if  he 
say  to  it,  at  the  time  of  his  shaking  it,  Slay  this  army,  there  will  proceed 
from  that  sword  a  lightning,  which  will  slay  the  whole  army.     And  as  to 
the  celestial  planisphere,  whoso  possesseth  it,  if  he  desire  to  behold  all  the 
countries  from  the  east  to  the  west,  he  will  behold  them,  and  divert  him- 
self with  viewing  them,  while  he  sitteth :  whatsoever  quarter  he  desireth 
to  see,  he  will  turn  the  face  of  the  planisphere  toward  it,  and,  looking  in  the 
planisphere,  he  will  see  that  quarter  and  its  inhabitants,  as  though  all  were 
before  him.     Moreover,  if  he  be  incensed  against  a  city,  and  turn  the  face 
of  the  planisphere  toward  the  sun's  disk,  desiring  to  burn  that  city,  it  will 
be  burned.     And  as  to  the  kohl-pot,  whosoever  applieth  kohl  from  it  to  his 
eyes,  he  will  see  the  treasures  of  the  earth.     But  I  have  a  condition  to  im- 
pose upon  you  ;  and  it  is  this  :  that  whosoever  is  unable  to  open  this  treas- 
ure, he  shall  not  have  any  claim  to  the  book ;  and  he  who  openeth  this 
treasure,  and  bringeth  me  these  four  reposited  things,  shall  be  entitled  to 
take  this  book.     And  we  consented  to  the  condition. 

He  then  said  to  us,  O  my  sons,  know  that  the  treasure  of  Shamardal  is 
under  the  dominion  of  the  sons  of  the  Red  King,  and  your  father  informed 
me  that  he  had  striven  to  open  that  treasure,  and  had  not  been  able  ;  but  that 
the  sons  of  the  Red  King  had  fled  from  him  to  a  lake  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
called  the  Lake  of  Karoun,  where  they  withstood  his  authority ;  and  he 
pursued  them  to  Cairo  ;  but  could  not  prevail  against  them,  on  account  of 
their  descending  into  that  lake  ;  for  it  was  guarded  by  a  talisman.  Ho  then 
returned  overcome,  and  could  not  open  the  treasure  of  Shamardal  by  rea- 
son of  the  sons  of  the  Red  King.     So  when  your  father  was  unable  to  pre- 

209 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

vail  against  them,  he  came  to  me  and  complained  to  me.  I  therefore  made 
for  him  an  astrological  calculation,  and  saw  that  this  treasure  could  not  be 
opened  save  by  the  good  fortune  of  a  young  man  of  the  sons  of  Cairo,  named 
Joudar  the  son  of  Omar;  for  that  he  would  be  the  means  of  the  seizure  of 
the  sons  of  the  Red  King.  Also,  that  the  said  young  man  would  be  a  fish- 
erman, that  the  meeting  with  him  would  be  by  the  Lake  of  Karoun,  and 
that  the  charm  would  not  be  dissolved  unless  Joudar  should  bind  behind  his 
back  the  hands  of  the  person  whose  lot  it  was  to  accomplish  this,  and  throw 
him  into  the  lake ;  whereupon  he  would  contend  with  the  sons  of  the  Red 
King ;  and  whosoever  should  have  the  fortune  to  do  so  would  seize  the  sons 
of  the  Red  King.  But  he  saw  that  he  who  should  not  be  fortunate  would 
perish,  and  his  feet  would  appear  from  the  water;  and  that  he  who  should 
be  safe,  his  hands  would  appear ;  and  it  would  be  requisite  that  Joudar 
should  cast  over  him  the  net,  and  take  him  forth  from  the  lake.  Upon 
this,  [two  of]  my  brothers  said,  We  will  go,  though  we  perish.  And  I 
said,  I  will  go  also.  But  as  to  our  brother  who  is  in  the  garb  of  a  Jew,  he 
said,  I  have  no  desire.  So  we  agreed  with  him  that  he  should  repair  to 
Cairo  in  the  disguise  of  a  Jewish  merchant,  in  order  that  if  one  of  us  should 
die  in  the  lake,  he  might  receive  the  mule  and  the  saddle-bags  from  Joudar, 
and  give  him  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold.  And  when  the  first  came  to  thee, 
the  sons  of  the  Red  King  slew  him  ;  and  they  slew  my  second  brother ;  but 
they  could  not  prevail  against  me :  so  I  seized  them. 

Upon  this  Joudar  said,  Where  are  they  whom  thou  seizedst  ?  The 
Mograbin  replied,  Didst  thou  not  see  them  ?  I  have  imprisoned  them  in 
the  two  little  boxes.  Joudar  said,  These  are  fishes.  The  Mograbin,  how- 
ever, replied,  These  are  not  fishes  :  verily  they  are  Afrites  in  the  form  of 
fishes.  But,  O  Joudar,  know  that  the  opening  of  the  treasure  can  not  be 
accomplished  save  by  thy  good  fortune.  Wilt  thou  then  comply  with  my 
desire,  and  go  with  me  to  the  city  of  Fez  and  Mequinez,  and  open  the 
treasure  ?  If  so,  1  will  give  thee  what  thou  shalt  desire.  Thou  hast  be- 
come my  brother  by  a  covenant  before  God,  and  thou  shalt  return  to  thy 
family  with  a  comforted  heart.  Joudar  said  to  him,  O  my  master  the  pil- 
grim, I  have  in  my  charge  my  mother  and  my  two  brothers,  and  I  am  he 
who  provideth  for  them ;  and  if  I  go  with  thee,  who  will  give  them  bread 
to  eat?  But  the  Mograbin  replied,  This  is  a  vain  pretext:  and  if  it  be  on 
account  of  the  money  required  for  expenses,  we  will  give  thee  a  thousand 
pieces  of  gold  which  thou  shalt  give  to  thy  mother  that  she  may  expend  it 
until  thou  shalt  return  to  thy  country ;  and  if  thou  go  away  thou  shalt  return 
before  four  months.  And  when  Joudar  heard  the  mention  of  the  thousand 
pieces  of  gold,  he  said,  Give  me,  O  pilgrim,  the  thousand  pieces  of  gold, 
and  I  will  leave  them  with  my  mother,  and  will  go  with  thee.  So  the 
Mograbin  took  forth  and  gave  him  the  gold,  and  he  took  it  and  went  to  his 
mother,  and  acquainted  her  with  that  which  had  happened  between  him 
and  the  Mograbin,  saying  to  her,  Take  these  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and 
expend  of  them  upon  thyself  and  upon  my  two  brothers,  while  I  journey 
with  the  Mograbin  to  the  west,  and  I  shall  be  absent  four  months,  and 
abundant  good  fortune  will  betide  me :  so  pray  for  me,  O  my  mother. 
She  replied,  O  my  son,  thou  wilt  l-ender  me  desolate,  and  I  fear  for  thee. 
But.  he  said,  O  my  mother,  no  harm  will  befall  him  whom  God  preserveth ; 
and  the  Mograbin  is  a  good  man.  And  he  proceeded  to  praise  to  her  his 
210 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

state.     So  she  replied,  May  God  incline  his  heart  to  thee !     Go  with  him, 
O  my  son.     Perhaps  he  will  give  thee  something. 

He  therefore  bade  farewell  to  his  mother,  and  went;  and  when  he  came 
to  the  Mograbin  Abdelsamad,  the  latter  said  to  him,  Hast  thou  consulted 
thy  mother  ?  He  answered,  Yes,  and  she  prayed  for  me.  And  the  Mo- 
grabin said  to  him,  Mount  behind  me.  So  he  got  upon  the  back  of  the 
mule,  and  they  journeyed  from  noon  until  the  time  of  afternoon  prayers, 
when  Joudar  was  hungry,  and  he  saw  not  with  the  Mograbin  any  thing  to 
be  eaten ;  wherefore  he  said  to  him,  O  my  master  the  pilgrim,  probably 
thou  hast  forgotten  to  bring  for  us  any  thing  to  eat  on  the  way.  The  Mo- 
grabin said,  Art  thou  hungry?  Joudar  answered,  Yes.  And  upon  this 
the  Mograbin  alighted  from  the  mule,  with  Joudar,  and  said,  Put  down  the 
pair  of  saddle-bags.  So  he  put  it  down.  Then  the  Mograbin  said  to  him, 
What  thing  dost  thou  desire,  O  my  brother  ?  Joudar  answered  him,  Any 
thing.  The  Mograbin,  however,  replied,  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah  that  thou 
tell  me  what  thing  thou  desirest.     Joudar  said,  Bread  and  cheese.     But 


Joudar  and  the  Mograbin  resting  on  their  journey. 


an 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

the  Mograbin  replied,  O  poor  man,  bread  and  cheese  are  not  suitable  to  thy 
condition  :  therefore  demand  something  good.  In  my  estimation,  said  Jou- 
dar,  at  this  time  every  thing  is  good.  And  the  Mograbin  asked  him,  Dost 
thou  like  browned  chickens  ?  He  answered,  Yes.  And  the  Mograbin 
said,  Dost  thou  like  rice  with  honey?  He  answered,  Yes.  And  the  Mo- 
grabin said,  Dost  thou  like  such  a  dish,  and  such  a  dish  ?  until  he  had  nam- 
ed to  him  four-and-twenty  different  dishes  of  food.  Then  Joudar  said 
within  himself,  Is  he  mad?  Whence  will  he  bring  me  the  dishes  of  food 
that  he  hath  named,  when  he  hath  neither  kitchen  nor  cook  ?  But  say  to 
him,  It  is  enough.  So  he  said  to  him,  It  is  enough.  Dost  thou  make  me 
desire  the  dishes  when  I  shall  see  nothing  ?  The  Mograbin,  however,  re- 
plied, Welcome  to  thee,  O  Joudar  !  And  he  put  his  hand  into  the  saddle-bag, 
and  took  forth  a  dish  of  gold  containing  two  browned,  hot  chickens.  Then 
he  put  his  hand  a  second  time,  and  took  forth  a  dish  of  gold  containing  roast 
meat.  And  he  ceased  not  to  take  forth  from  the  pair  of  saddle-bags  until 
he  had  taken  forth  the  four-and-twenty  dishes  that  he  had  mentioned,  en- 
tire and  complete ;  whereupon  Joudar  was  confounded.     He  then  said  to 


Travelers  halting. 


212 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

him,  Eat,  O  poor  man.  And  Joudar  said,  O  my  master,  dost  thou  put  in 
this  pair  of  saddle-bags  a  kitchen  and  people  to  cook  ?  So  the  Mograbin 
laughed,  and  replied,  This  is  enchanted,  having  a  servant ;  were  we  to  de-  \J0 
mand  every  hour  a  thousand  dishes,  the  servant  would  bring  them  and  make 
them  ready  instantly.  Joudar  therefore  said,  An  excellent  thing  is  this  pair 
of  saddle-bags !  Then  they  ate  until  they  were  satisfied,  and  what  re- 
mained they  threw  upon  the  ground ;  after  which  the  Mograbin  replaced 
the  dishes,  empty,  in  the  saddle-bags,  and,  having  put  in  his  hand,  took  forth 
a  ewer ;  and  they  drank,  and  performed  the  ablution,  recited  the  afternoon 
prayers,  and  replaced  the  ewer  in  the  pair  of  saddle-bags.  The  Mograbin 
then  put  into  them  the  two  little  boxes,  placed  the  saddle-bags  on  the  mule, 
and  mounted,  saying,  Mount,  that  we  may  journey  on.  And  he  said,  O 
Joudar,  knowest  thou  what  space  we  have  traversed  from  Cairo  unto  this 
place  ?  Joudar  answered  him,  By  Allah,  I  know  not.  And  the  Mograbin 
said  to  him,  We  have  traversed  a  space  of  a  whole  month's  journey.  And 
how  so  ?  asked  Joudar.  The  Mograbin  answered  him,  O  Joudar,  know 
that  the  mule  which  is  beneath  us  is  one  of  the  Marids  of  the  Genii,  that 
will  travel  in  a  day  a  year's  journey  ;  but  for  thy  sake  it  proceeded  leisurely. 
They  then  journeyed  on  until  sunset;  and  when  they  halted  in  the  even- 
ing, the  Mograbin  took  forth  from  the  saddle-bags  the  supper ;  and  in  the 
morning  he  took  forth  the  breakfast.  Thus  they  continued  to  do  for  a  pe- 
riod of  four  days,  journeying  until  midnight,  and  alighting  and  sleeping,  and 
proceeding  in  the  morning ;  and  all  that  Joudar  desired  he  demanded  of  the 
Mograbin,  who  produced  it  to  him  from  the  pair  of  saddle-bags.  And  on 
the  fifth  day  they  arrived  at  Fez  and  Mequinez. 

They  entered  the  city  ;  and  when  they  entered,  every  one  who  met  the 
Mograbin  saluted  him  and  kissed  his  hand.  Thus  he  proceeded  until  he 
came  to  a  door ;  whereupon  he  knocked  at  it,  and  lo,  the  door  opened,  and 
there  appeared  from  it  a  damsel  like  the  moon,  to  whom  he  said,  O  Rah- 
ma,  O  my  daughter,  open  for  us  the  pavilion.  She  replied,  On  the  head 
and  the  eye,  O  my  father.  And  she  entered,  wriggling  her  sides,  so  that 
Joudar's  reason  fled,  and  he  said,  This  is  none  other  than  the  daughter  of 
a  king !  Then  the  damsel  opened  the  pavilion,  and  the  Mograbin  took  the 
pair  of  saddle-bags  from  the  back  of  the  mule,  and  said  to  it,  Depart:  God 
bless  thee  !  And  behold,  the  ground  clove  asunder,  and  the  mule  descend- 
ed, and  the  ground  became  again  as  it  was.  So  Joudar  said,  O  excellent 
Protector !  Praise  be  to  God,  who  delivered  us  upon  its  back  !  The  Mo- 
grabin, however,  said,  Wonder  not,  O  Joudar ;  for  I  told  thee  that  the  mule 
is  an  Afrite  ;  but  come  up  with  us  into  the  pavilion.  And  when  they  en- 
tered that  pavilion,  Joudar  was  amazed  at  the  abundance  of  the  rich  furni- 
ture, and  at  what  he  beheld  in  it,  of  rarities  and  articles  of  jewels  and  min- 
erals ;  and  after  they  had  seated  themselves,  the  Mograbin  ordered  the 
damsel,  saying  to  her,  O  Rahma,  bring  such  a  wrapper.  She  therefore 
arose  and  brought  a  wrapper,  which  she  put  down  before  her  father;  and 
he  opened  it,  and  took  forth  from  it  a  dress  worth  a  thousand  pieces  of 
gold,  and  said,  Put  it  on,  O  Joudar.  Welcome  to  thee  !  So  he  put  on  the 
dress,  and  became  like  one  of  the  kings  of  the  west :  after  which  the  Mo- 
grabin placed  the  saddle-bags  before  him,  and,  having  put  his  hand  into  them, 
took  forth  from  them  dishes  containing  varieties  of  viands  until  they  com- 
posed a  table  of  forty  different  dishes,  when  he  said,  O  my  lord,  advance 
and  eat,  and  be  not  displeased  with  us.     We  know  not  what  viands  thou 

213 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 


The  mule  descending  into  the  earth. 


desirest :  therefore  tell  us  what  thou  wouldst  have,  arid  we  will  place  it  be- 
fore thee  without  delay.  Joudar  replied,  By  Allah,  O  my  master  the  pil- 
grim, I  love  all  viands,  and  hate  not  aught :  then  ask  me  not  respecting  any 
thing ;  but  bring  all  that  occur  to  thy  mind,  and  I  have  nothing  to  do  but 
to  eat.  Then  he  resided  with  him  twenty  days.  Every  day  the  Mogra- 
bin  clad  him  with  a  dress,  and  the  food  was  from  the  pair  of  saddle-bags  ; 
the  Mograbin  not  buying  any  thing,  either  of  meat  or  bread,  nor  cooking; 
but  taking  forth  all  that  he  required  from  the  saddle-bags,  even  the  differ- 
ent kinds  of  fruit. 

After  this  the  Mograbin,  on  the  one-and-twentieth  day,  said,  O  Joudar, 
arise  with  us  ;  for  this  is  the  day  decreed  for  the  opening  of  the  treasure 
of  Shamardal.  So  he  arose  with  him,  and  they  walked  to  the  extremity 
of  the  city.  Then  they  went  forth  from  it,  and  Joudar  mounted  a  mule, 
and  the  Mograbin  mounted  a  mule,  and  they  ceased  not  to  journey  on  un- 
til noon,  when  they  came  to  a  river  of  running  water.  There  Abdelsamad 
214 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

alighted,  and  he  said,  Alight,  O  Joudar.  And  he  alighted  ;  and  Abdelsa- 
mad  said,  Quick !  making  a  sign  with  his  hand  to  the  two  slaves  [who  ac- 
companied him]  ;  whereupon  they  took  the  two  mules,  and  each  slave  de- 
parted by  one  way,  and  they  were  absent  a  little  while ;  after  which  one 
of  them  approached  with  a  tent,  which  he  pitched  ;  and  the  other  approach- 
ed with  a  mattress,  which  he  spread  in  the  tent,  placing  around  it  cushions 
and  pillows.  Then  one  of  them  went  and  brought  the  two  little  boxes  in 
which  were  the  two  fishes  ;  and  the  other  brought  the  pair  of  saddle-bags. 
Upon  this  the  Mograbin  arose  and  said,  Come,  O  Joudar.  So  he  came 
and  seated  himself  by  his  side  ;  and  the  Mograbin  took  forth  from  the  sad- 
dle-bags the  dishes  of  viands,  and  they  dined;  after  which  the  Mograbin 
took  the  two  little  boxes,  and  recited  a  charm  over  them,  whereupon  those 
who  were  within  them  began  to  say,  At  thy  service,  O  diviner  of  the  world  ! 
Have  mercy  upon  us  !  They  prayed  for  help,  while  he  recited  his  charm 
over  them,  until  the  two  little  boxes  burst  and  became  broken  in  pieces, 
the  fragments  flying  about,  and  there  appeared  from  them  two  beings  with 
their  hands  bound  behind  them,  saying,  Quarter  !  O  diviner  of  the  world! 
What  dost  thou  desire  to  do  unto  us  ?  He  answered,  My  desire  is,  either 
to  burn  you,  or  that  ye  promise  me  to  open  the  treasure  of  Shamardal. 
And  they  replied,  We  promise  thee,  and  we  will  open  for  thee  the  treas- 
ure ;  but  on  the  condition  that  thou  bring  here  Joudar  the  fisherman ;  for 
the  treasure  can  not  be  opened  but  by  his  good  fortune,  and  no  one  can  en- 
ter it  excepting  Joudar  the  son  of  Omar.  So  he  said  to  them,  Him  whom 
ye  mention  I  have  brought,  and  he  is  here,  hearing  you  and  beholding  you. 
They  therefore  promised  him  to  open  the  treasure,  and  he  released  them. 
Then  he  took  forth  a  tube,  and  some  tablets  of  red  carnelian,  which  he 
placed  upon  the  tube  ;  and  he  took  a  perfuming-vessel,  put  in  it  some  char- 
coal, and  blew  it  with  a  single  puff,  wherewith  he  kindled  it ;  and,  having 
made  ready  the  incense,  he  said,  O  Joudar,  I  will  recite  the  charm,  and  throw 
on  the  incense,  and  when  I  have  begun  the  charm  I  can  not  speak ;  for  the 
charm  would  be  frustrated ;  and  I  desire  to  acquaint  thee  how  thou  shalt 
act  to  attain  thy  wish.     So  Joudar  replied,  Acquaint  me. 

The  Mograbin  therefore  said,  Know  that  when  1  have  recited  the  charm, 
and  thrown  on  the  incense,  the  water  will  dry  up  from  the  bed  of  the  river, 
and  there  will  appear  to  thee  a  door  of  gold,  of  the  size  of  the  city  gate, 
with  two  rings  of  metal.  Descend  to  the  door  and  knock  it  lightly,  and 
wait  a  while  :  then  knock  a  second  time,  with  more  force  than  the  first 
time :  after  that  give  three  knocks  without  intermission,  one  after  another. 
Thereupon  thou  wilt  hear  a  speaker  say,  Who  knocketh  at  the  door  of  the 
tresisures  and  knoweth  not  how  to  solve  the  mysteries  ?  And  do  thou  an- 
swer, I  am  Joudar  the  fisherman,  the  son  of  Omar.  Then  he  will  open  to 
thee  the  door ;  and  there  will  come  forth  to  thee  a  person  with  a  sword  in 
his  hand,  who  will  say  to  thee,  If  thou  be  that  man,  stretch  forth  thy  neck 
that  I  may  smite  off  thy  head.  And  stretch  thou  forth  to  him  thy  neck, 
and  fear  not;  for  when  he  raiseth  his  hand  with  the  sword  and  smiteth 
thee,  he  will  fall  down  before  thee,  and  after  a  while  thou  wilt  see  him  a 
body  without  a  soul,  and  thou  wilt  not  suffer  pain  from  the  blow,  nor  will 
aught  befall  thee ;  but  if  thou  oppose  him,  he  will  slay  thee.  And  after 
that,  when  thou  hast  annulled  his  talisman  by  obedience,  enter  on  until 
thou  seest  another  door,  which  knock.  There  will  come  forth  to  thee  a 
horseman  riding  upon  a  horse,  and  having  upon  his  shoulder  a  spear,  and 

215 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

he  will  say,  What  hath  brought  thee  into  this  place,  which  no  one  enter- 
eth,  either  of  mankind  or  of  the  Genii  ?  And  he  will  shake  at  thee  the 
spear ;  but  open  to  him  thy  bosom,  and  he  will  smite  thee,  and  will  fall 
down  instantly,  and  thou  wilt  see  him  a  body  without  a  soul.  If  thou  op- 
pose him,  however,  he  will  slay  thee.  Then  enter  the  third  door.  There 
will  come  forth  to  thee  a  son  of  Adam  having  in  his  hand  a  bow  and  arrows, 
and  he  will  shoot  at  thee  with  the  bow ;  but  open  thou  to  him  thy  bosom, 
and  he  will  smite  thee,  and  will  fall  down  before  thee  a  body  without  a 
soul ;  but  if  thou  oppose  him,  he  will  slay  thee.  Next  enter  the  fourth 
door.  There  will  come  forth  to  thee  a  huge  lion,  who  will  rush  upon  thee, 
opening  his  mouth,  and  showing  thee  that  he  desireth  to  devour  thee :  yet 
fear  thou  not,  nor  flee  from  him  ;  but  when  he  cometh  up  to  thee,  give  him 
thy  hand,  and  when  he  biteth  at  thy  hand  he  will  fall  down  instantly,  and 
naught  will  befall  thee.  After  this  enter  the  fifth  door.  There  will  come 
forth  to  thee  a  black  slave,  who  will  say  to  thee,  Who  art  thou  ?  Answer 
him,  I  am  Joudar.  And  he  will  say  to  thee,  If  thou  be  that  man,  enter 
the  sixth  door.  Advance,  therefore,  to  that  door,  and  say,  O  Isa,  tell  Mousa 
to  open  the  door.  Thereupon  the  door  will  be  opened,  and  do  thou  enter. 
Thou  wilt  find  two  serpents  ;  one  of  them  on  the  left,  and  the  other  on  the 
right.  Each  of  them  will  open  its  mouth,  and  they  will  dart  upon  thee  in- 
stantly ;  but  stretch  thou  forth  to  them  thy  two  hands,  and  each  of  them 
will  bite  at  a  hand  :  if  thou  oppose,  however,  they  will  kill  thee.  Then 
enter  on  to  the  seventh  door,  and  knock  it.  [The  semblance  of]  thy 
mother  wTill  come  forth  to  thee,  and  will  say  to  thee,  Welcome,  O  my  son  ! 
Advance,  that  I  may  salute  thee.  But  do  thou  reply,  Keep  far  from  me, 
and  pull  oft'  thine  apparel.  She  will  thereupon  say  to  thee,  O  my  son,  I 
am  thy  mother,  and  I  have  a  claim  upon  thy  duty  for  suckling  and  rearing 
thee.  How,  then,  wouldst  thou  strip  me  of  my  clothing?  Do  thou,  how- 
ever, say  to  her,  If  thou  pull  not  off  thy  clothing,  I  will  slay  thee.  And 
look  on  thy  right  side  :  thou  wilt  see  a  sword  suspended  on  the  wall :  so 
take  it,  and  draw  it  upon  her,  and  say  to  her,  Pull  oft*.  Then  she  will  en- 
deavor to  beguile  thee,  and  will  humble  herself  unto  thee  :  yet  pity  her 
not;  but  every  time  that  she  pulleth  oft"  to  thee  any  thing,  say  to  her,  Pull 
oft'  the  rest.  And  cease  not  to  threaten  her  with  slaughter  until  she  pull- 
eth off  to  thee  all  that  is  upon  her,  and  fiftieth  down.  Upon  this  the  mys- 
terious contrivances  will  have  become  dissolved,  and  the  talismans  annul- 
led, and  thou  wilt  be  secure.  So  enter :  thou  wilt  find  the  gold  in  heaps 
within  the  treasury  :  pay  no  regard,  however,  to  aught  of  it :  but  thou  wilt 
see  a  private  chamber  at  the  upper  end  of  the  treasury,  with  a  curtain  over 
its  entrance.  Remove  the  curtain,  and  thou  wilt  see  the  Diviner  Shamar- 
dal  lying  upon  a  couch  of  gold,  having  at  his  head  something  round,  shining 
like  the  moon  ;  and  it  is  the  celestial  planisphere.  He  is  also  equipped  with 
the  sword,  hung  upon  his  side  ;  and  upon  his  finger  is  a  seal-ring  ;  and  upon 
his  neck  is  a  chain,  to  which  is  attached  a  kohl-pot.  Bring,  therefore,  the 
four  reposited  things;  and  beware  of  forgetting  aught  of  the  things  with 
which  I  have  acquainted  thee ;  and  act  not  contrary  to  the  directions ;  for 
thou  wouldst  repent,  and  fear  would  be  entertained  for  thee.  Then  he 
repeated  to  him  the  charge,  a  second,  and  a  third,  and  a  fouth  time,  until 
he  said,  I  have  it  in  my  memory  ;  but  who  is  able  to  face  these  talis- 
mans which  thou  hast  mentioned,  and  to  endure  these  great  horrors? 
The  Mograbin  replied,  O  Joudar,  fear  not ;  for  they  are  bodies  without 
216 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

souls.     And  he  proceeded  to  tranquilize  him.     So  Joudar  said,  I  rely  upon 
God. 

Then  the  Mograbin  Abdelsainad  threw  on  the  incense  and  continued  a 
while  reciting  the  charm;  and  lo,  the  water  had  gone,  and  the  bottom  of 


>k: 


i ) 


Incantation. 


the  river  appeared,  and  the  door  of  the  treasure.  Joudar  therefore  de- 
scended to  the  door,  and  knocked  it;  and  he  heard  a  speaker  say,  Who 
knocketh  at  tin-  door  of  the  treasures  and  knoweth  not  how  to  solve  tin- 
mysteries?  So  he  answered,  1  am  Joudar  the  son  of  Ulnar.  And  upon 
this  the  dour  opened,  and  the  person  came  forth  to  him,  aud  drew  the 
sword,  saying  to  him,  Stretch  forth  thy  neck.  Accordingly,  he  stretched 
forth  his  neck,  and  the  person  smote  him,  and  fell  down.  In  like  manner 
did  Joudar  at  the  second  door,  and  so  on  until  ho  had  annulled  the  talis- 
mans of  [six  of]  the  seven  doors.  Then  [the  semblance  of]  his  mother 
Vol.  II— K  217 


THE  STORY   OF  JOUDAR. 

caine  forth  to  him,  saying  to  him.  Salutations  to  thee,  O  my  son  !  And  he 
said  to  her  as  the  Mograbin  had  directed  him;  but  after  she  had  long  re- 
monstrated with  him,  and  done  nearly  all  that  he  had  commanded  her,  she 
said  to  him,  O  my  son,  is  thy  heart  stone  ?  Is  not  this  unlawful  ?  And  he 
replied,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth.  So  when  he  had  uttered  these  words, 
she  cried  out  and  said.  He  hath  erred  :  therefore  beat  ye  him  !  And  there 
fell  upon  him  blows  like  the  drops  of  rain  :  the  servants  of  the  treasure  as- 
sembled around  him,  and  they  inflicted  upon  him  a  beating  that  he  forgot 
not  during  his  life ;  after  which  they  pushed  him,  and  cast  him  forth  out- 
side the  door  of  the  treasure,  and  the  doors  of  the  treasure  became  closed 
as  they  were  before.  So  wheu  they  cast  him  outside  the  door,  the  Mo- 
grabin took  him  up  instantly,  and  the  waters  flowed  as  before.  Then  Abd- 
elsamad  the  Mograbin  recited  over  Joudar  a  charm,  until  he  recovered  from 
bis  intoxication,  when  he  said  to  him,  What  hast  thou  done,  O  poor  man  ? 
Joudar  therefore  told  him  what  had  happened;  whereupon  the  Mograbin 
replied,  Did  I  not  say  to  thee,  Act  not  contrary  to  the  directions  ?  Thou 
hast  done  ill  unto  me  and  to  thyself.  But  now  thou  must  remain  with  me 
till  the  next  year,  until  the  like  of  this  day.  And  he  called  out  immedi- 
ately to  the  two  slaves,  who  forthwith  struck  the  tent  and  carried  it  away, 
and,  after  they  had  been  absent  a  little  while,  returned  with  the  two  mules  ; 
and  the  Mograbin  and  Joudar  each  mounted  a  mule,  and  they  returned  to 
the  city  of  Fez. 

Joudar  remained  with  the  Mograbin,  eating  well  and  drinking  well,  and 
every  day  the  latter  clad  him  in  a  rich  dress,  until  the  year  had  ended  and 
that  day  arrived  ;  when  the  Mograbin  said  to  him,  This  is  the  appointed 
day  :  so  repair  with  us.  Joudar  replied,  Well.  The  Mograbin  therefore 
took  him  outside  the  city,  and  they  saw  the  two  slaves  with  the  two  mules, 
and  rode  until  they  arrived  at  the  river  ;  whereupon  the  two  slaves  pitched 
the  tent,  and  spread  the  furniture  in  it,  and  the  Mograbin  took  forth  the 
table  of  viands,  and  they  dined.  After  this  the  Mograbin  took  forth  the 
tube  and  the  tablets,  as  on  the  first  occasion,  kindled  the  fire,  made  ready 
his  incense,  and  said,  O  Joudar,  I  desire  to  charge  thee.  He  replied,  O 
my  master  the  pilgrim,  if  I  have  forgotten  the  beating,  I  may  have  forgot- 
ten the  charge.  So  the  Mograbin  said  to  him,  Dost  thou  retain  the  charge 
in  thy  memory  ?  He  answered,  Yes.  And  the  Mograbin  said.  Keep  thy 
self-possession,  and  imagine  not  that  the  woman  is  thy  mother;  for  she  is 
only  a  talisman  in  the  form  of  thy  mother,  and  her  desire  is  to  make  thee 
err;  and  if  the  first  time  thou  earnest  forth  alive,  this  time,  if  thou  err, 
they  will  cast  thee  forth  slain.  He  replied,  If  I  err,  I  shall  deserve  their 
burning  me.  Then  the  Mograbin  put  the  incense,  and  recited  the  charm, 
and  the  river  dried  up.  So  Joudar  advanced  to  the  door  and  knocked  it : 
whereupon  it  opened,  and  he  annulled  nil  the  talismans  until  he  came  to 
[the  semblance  of]  his  mother,  who  said  to  him,  Welcome,  O  my  son! 
But  he  replied,  How  should  I  be  thy  son,  O  accursed  ?  Pull  off!  And 
she  endeavored  to  beguile  him;  but  he  insisted;  and  when  she  had  done 
as  he  commanded  her,  she  became  a  body  without  a  soul.  He  therefore 
entered,  and  saw  the  gold  in  heaps,  but  paid  no  regard  to  aught  of  it.  Then 
he  came  to  the  private  chamber,  and  beheld  the  Diviner  Shamardal  lying, 
having  his  sword  on  his  side,  and  the  seal-ring  upon  his  finger,  and  the  kohl- 
pot  upon  his  bosom,  and  he  saw  the  celestial  planisphere  over  his  head. 
So  he  advanced  and  loosed  the  sword,  and  took  the  seal-ring,  and  the  ce- 
218 


THE  STORY  Of  JOUDAR. 


Joudar  threatening  the  semblance  of  his  mother. 


lestial  planisphere,  and  the  kohl-pot,  and  went  forth;  and  lo,  a  set  of  musical 
instruments  sounded  in  honor  of  him,  and  the  servants  [of  the  treasure] 
began  to  call  out,  Mayest  thou  enjoy  that  which  thou  hast  obtained,  O  Jou- 
dar! The  instruments  ceased  not  to  sound  until  he  went  forth  from  the 
treasure  and  came  to  the  Mograbin,  who  thereupon  ceased  from  the  reci- 
tation of  the  charm  and  the  fumigation,  and,  rising,  pressed  him  to  his  bo- 
som and  saluted  him ;  and  Joudar  gave  him  the  four  reposited  articles. 
So  the  Mograbin  took  them  and  called  out  to  the  two  slaves,  who  forth- 
with took  the  tent  and  restored  it  to  its  place  ;  after  which  they  returned 
with  the  two  mules,  and  the  Mograbin  and  Joudar  mounted  them  and  en- 
tered the  city  of  Fez.  The  Mograbin  then  brought  the  pair  of  saddle-bags, 
and  proceeded  to  take  forth  from  it  the  dishes  containing  the  various  viands 
until  a  complete  table  was  before  him,  when  he  said,  O  my  brother,  O  Jou- 
dar, cat.  He  therefore  ate  until  he  was  satisfied,  and  the  Mograbin  emp- 
tied the  remains  of  the  viands  into  other  dishes,  and  put  back  the  empty 
dishes  into  the  saddle-bags. 

Then  the  Mograbin  Abdelsamad  said,  O  Joudar,  thou  quittedst  thy  land 
and  thy  country  on  our  account,  and  hast  accomplished  our  affair  ;  where- 
fore thou  hast  a  claim  upon  us  lor  some  object  of  desire  ;  so  demand  of  us 
what  thou  wishest;  for  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  giveth  thee,  and 
we  are  [merely]  the  means.  Require,  then,  what  thou  wilt,  and  be  not 
abashed,  since  thou  deservest.  He  therefore  replied,  U  my  master,  I  de- 
sire of  God,  aud  then  of  thee,  that  thou  give  me  this  pair  of  saddle-bags. 
And  the  Mograbin  said  [to  his  slave],  Bring  the  pair  of  saddle-bags.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  brought  it  ;  aud  he  said  to  Joudar,  Take  it;  for  it  is  thy  due; 
and  hadst  thou  desired  something  else,  we  had  given  it  to  thee.  But,  O 
poor  man,  this  will  not  profit  thee  save  in  food,  and  thou  hast  wearied  thy- 
self with  us,  and  we  promised  thee  that  we  would  restore  thee  to  thy 
country  with  a  comforted  heart;  wherefore  thou  shalt  eat  from  this  pair 
of  saddle-bags,  and  w-e  will  give  thee  another  pair  of  saddle-bags,  full  of 
gold  and  jewels,  and  have  thee  conveyed  to  thy  country  ;  so  thou  shalt  be- 
come a  merchant,  and  clothe  thyself  and  thy  family,  and  not  stand  in  need 

219 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

of  money  for  thy  expenses.  Eat  thou  and  thy  family  from  this  pair  of  sad- 
dle-bags :  and  the  mode  of  acting  with  it  is  this :  that  thou  put  forth  thy 
hand  into  it,  and  say,  By  the  great  names  that  have  influence  over  thee.  O 
servant  of  this  pair  of  saddle-bags,  bring  me  such  a  dish!  Thereupon  he 
will  bring  thee  what  thou  demandest,  even  if  thou  demand  every  day  a 
thousand  different  dishes  of  .food.  Then  he  caused  a  slave  to  come  with 
a  mule,  and  tilled  for  Joudar  a  pair  of  saddle-bags,  one  half  with  gold,  and 
the  other  half  with  jewels  and  minerals,  and  said  to  him,  Mount  this  mule, 
and  the  slave  will  walk  before  thee  ;  for  he  will  acquaint  thee  with  the  way 
until  he  conveyeth  thee  to  the  door  of  thy  house  ;  and  when  thou  hast  ar- 
rived, take  the  two  pairs  of  saddle-bags,  and  give  him  the  mule,  and  he 
will  bring  it  back.  But  let  not  any  one  know  thy  secret.  And  now  we 
commit  thee  unto  God.  So  Joudar  replied,  May  God  increase  thy  pros- 
perity !  He  put  the  two  pairs  of  saddle-bags  upon  the  back  of  the  mule, 
and  mounted  ;  and  the  slave  walked  before  him.  The  mule  followed  the 
slave  that  day,  and  all  the  following  night ;  and  on  the  second  day,  in  the 
morning,  he  entered  the  Bab  el-Nasr,  and  beheld  his  mother  sitting  and 
saying,  Something  for  the  sake  of  God  !     So  his  reason  fled,  and,  having 


22(1 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

alighted  from  the  back  of  the  mule,  he  threw  himself  upon  her ;  and  when 
she  saw  him,  she  wept.  Then  he  mounted  her  upon  the  mule,  and  walked 
by  her  stirrup  until  he  arrived  at  the  house,  when  he  set  down  his  mother, 
took  the  two  pairs  of  saddle-bags,  and  left  the  mule  to  the  slave,  who  took 
it  and  departed  to  his  master ;  for  the  slave  was  a  devil,  and  the  mule  was 
a  devil. 

But  as  to  Joudar,  the  fact  of  his  mother's  begging  was  grievous  to  him ; 
and  when  he  entered  the  house,  he  said  to  her,  O  my  mother,  are  my  two 
brothers  well  ?  She  answered,  Well.  And  he  said,  Wherefore  dost  thou 
beg  in  the  way  ?  She  answered,  O  my  son,  in  consequence  of  my  hun- 
ger. He  replied,  I  gave  thee,  before  I  departed,  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold 
the  first  day,  and  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  the  second  day,  and  I  gave  thee 
a  thousand  pieces  of  gold  on  the  day  that  I  departed.  O  my  son,  she  said, 
they  have  cheated  me,  and  taken  them  from  me,  saying,  We  desire  to  pur- 
chase with  them  merchandise.  And  they  took  them,  and  turned  me  out : 
so  I  betook  myself  to  begging  in  the  way,  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  my 
hunger.  He  then  said,  O  my  mother,  no  harm  shall  befall  thee  now  that 
I  have  come  :  therefore  suffer  no  anxiety.  This  is  a  pair  of  saddle-bags 
full  of  gold  and  jewels,  and  good  things  are  abundant.  And  she  replied, 
O  my  son,  thou  art  fortunate  !  May  God  be  well  pleased  with  thee,  and 
increase  his  favors  to  thee  !  Arise,  O  my  son  ;  bring  for  us  some  bread; 
for  I  have  passed  the  night  in  violent  hunger,  without  supper.  Upon  this 
he  laughed,  and  said  to  her,  Welcome  to  thee,  O  my  mother  !  Demand, 
then,  whatever  thou  desirest  to  eat,  and  I  will  present  it  to  thee  immedi- 
ately. I  need  not  to  purchase  from  the  market,  nor  need  I  any  one  to  cook. 
So  she  said,  O  my  son,  I  see  not  with  thee  any  thing.  He  replied,  I  have 
with  me,  in  the  pair  of  saddle-bags,  of  every  kind  of  viands.  And  she  said, 
O  my  son,  whatever  is  ready  will  stay  hunger.  Thou  hast  spoken  truth, 
he  replied  ;  for  when  plenty  is  wanting,  man  is  content  with  the  smallest 
thing;  but  when  plenty  is  at  hand,  man  desireth  to  eat  of  what  is  good  ; 
and  I  have  plenty;  therefore  demand  what  thou  desirest.  And  she  said 
to  him,  O  my  son,  some  hot  bread,  and  a  piece  of  cheese.  But  he  replied, 
O  my  mother,  this  is  not  suitable  to  thy  condition.  So  she  said  to  him, 
Thou  knowest  my  condition  ;  wherefore,  what  is  suitable  to  my  condition, 
thereof  give  me  to  eat.  And  he  said,  O  my  mother,  suitable  to  thy  con- 
dition are  browned  meat,  and  browned  chickens,  and  boiled  rice  with  but- 
ter, and  salt,  aad  pepper;  and  suitable  to  thy  condition  are  sausages,  and 
stuffed  gourds,  and  stuffed  lamb,  and  stuffed  ribs  of  Iamb,  and  kunafa  with 
broken  almonds,  and  hazel-nuts,  and  honey,  and  sugar,  and  kataif,  and  bak- 
lawa.  His  mother,  therefore,  thought  that  he  was  laughing  at  her,  and 
making  jest  of  her :  so  she  said  to  him,  O !  O !  What  hath  happened 
unto  thee  ?  Dost  thou  dream,  or  hast  thou  become  mad  ?  He  asked  her, 
Whence  learnedst  thou  that  1  had  become  mad  ?  She  answered  him,  Be- 
cause thou  mentionest  to  me  all  kinds  of  excellent  dishes;  and  who  can  af- 
ford their  price,  or  who  knoweth  how  to  cook  them  ?  And  he  replied,  By 
my  life,  I  must  give  thee  to  eat  of  all  that  I  have  mentioned  to  thee,  im- 
mediately. She  said,  I  see  not  aught.  And  he  said  to  her,  Bring  me  the 
pair  of  saddle-bags.  She  therefore  brought  him  the  pair  of  saddle-bags, 
and,  feeling  it,  found  it  to  be  empty  ;  and  she  put  it  before  him.  And  he 
proceeded  to  stretch  forth  his  hand  and  to  take  out  filled  dishes  until  he  had 
produced  to  her  all  that  he  had  mentioned.     So  his  mother  said  to  him,  O 

■2-2\ 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAK. 

my  son,  verily  the  pair  of  saddle-bags  is  small,  and  it  was  empty,  with 
nothing  in  it ;  yet  thou  hast  taken  forth  from  it  all  these  things  :  then  where 
were  these  dishes  ?  And  he  answered,  O  my  mother,  know  that  the  Mo- 
grabin  gave  me  this  pair  of  saddle-bags,  and  it  is  enchanted,  and  hath  a 
servant:  if  a  man  desire  any  thing,  and  recite,  over  it  the  names,  and  say, 
O  servant  of  this  pair  of  saddle-bags,  bring  me  such  a  dish  !  he  will  bring 
it.  Upon  this  his  mother  said  to  him,  Shall  1  stretch  forth  my  hand  and 
demand  of  him  ?  He  answered,  Stretch  forth  thy  hand.  And  she  did 
so,  saying,  By  the  names  that  have  influence  over  thee,  O  servant  of  this 
pair  of  saddle-bags,  bring  me  stuffed  ribs  of  lamb!  And  she  saw  that  the 
dish  had  come  into  the  bag :  so  she  put  forth  her  hand  and  took  it,  and 
found  in  it  delicate  stuffed  ribs.  Then  she  demanded  the  bread,  and  de- 
manded every  thing  that  she  desired,  of  various  kinds  of  viands.  And  lie 
said  to  her,  O  my  mother,  after  thou  shalt  have  finished  eating,  empty  the 
rest  of  the  viands  into  other  dishes  than  these,  and  put  back  the  empty 
dishes  into  the  saddle-bags ;  for  the  charm  is  on  this  condition  ;  and  take 
care  of  the  pair  of  saddle-bags.  She  therefore  removed  the  pair  of  sad- 
dle-bags, and  took  care  of  it.  And  he  said  to  her,  O  my  mother,  conceal 
the  secret,  and  keep  it;  and  whenever  thou  wantest  any  thing,  take  it 
forth  from  the  saddle-bags,  and  give  alms,  and  feed  my  two  brothers, 
whether  in  my  presence  or  in  ray  absence. 

After  this  he  began  to  eat  with  her,  and  lo,  his  two  brothers  came  in  to 
him.  The  news  had  been  given  to  them  by  a  man  of  the  sons  of  his  quar- 
ter, Avho  said  to  them,  Your  brother  hath  come,  mounted  on  a  mule,  with 
a  slave  before  him,  and  wearing  a  dress  of  which  the  like  existeth  not.  So 
they  said,  one  to  another,  Would  that  we  had  not  distressed  our  mother ! 
She  will  doub  less  acquaint  him  with  that  which  we  have  done  unto  her. 
O  how  we  shall  be  disgraced  by  him  !  But  one  of  them  said,  Our  moth- 
er is  tender-hearted;  and  if  she  inform  him,  our  brother  is  more  tender- 
hearted than  she  toward  us;  and  when  we  excuse  ourselves  to  him,  he 
will  accept  our  excuse.  Then  they  went  in  to  him,  and  he  rose  to  them 
upon  his  feet,  and  saluted  them  with  the  best  salutation,  and  said  to  them, 
Sit  and  eat.  So  they  sat  and  ate;  and  they  were  weak  from  hunger; 
wherefore  they  ceased  not  to  eat  until  they  were  satiated.  And  Joudar 
said  to  them,  O  my  brothers,  take  the  remainder  of  the  food,  and  distribute 
it  to  the  poor  and  needy.  They  replied,  O  our  brother,  leave  it  that  we 
may  make  our  supper  of  it.  But  he  said  to  them,  At  the  time  of  supper 
there  will  be  brought  to  you  more  than  this.  They  therefore  took  forth 
the  rest  of  the  viands,  and  to  every  poor  person  who  passed  by  them  they 
said,  Take  and  eat;  until  nothing  remained.  Theu  they  took  back  the 
dishes,  and  Joudar  said  to  his  mother,  Put  them  into  the  saddle-bags.  And 
in  the  evening  he  entered  the  saloon,  and  took  forth  from  the  saddle-bags 
a  table  of  forty  different  dishes;  after  which  he  went  up  [into  another 
apartment]  ;  and  when  he  sat  between  his  two  brothers,  he  said  to  his 
mother,  Bring  the  supper.  So  when  she  entered  the  saloon,  she  saw  the 
dishes  full ;  and  she  placed  the  table,  aud  brought  the  dishes,  one  after 
another,  until  the  forty  dishes  were  all  put.  They  then  supped  :  and  after 
the  supper,  Joudar  said,  Take  ye,  and  feed  the  poor  and  the  needy.  Ac- 
cordingly, they  took  the  rest  of  the  viands  and  distributed  them.  And  aft- 
er they  had  supped,  Joudar  produced  to  tfiem  sweetmeats ;  of  which  they 
ale;  and  what  remained  of  them,  Joudar  told  them  to  give  to  the  neigh- 
Q2"2 


Till;  SToh'Y  OF  J01JDAR. 

bors  to  eat.     On  the  fallowing  day  they  breakfasted  in  the  same  manner, 
and  they  ceased  not  to  remain  in  this  state  for  a  period  of  ten  days. 

Then  Salim  said  to  Selim,  What  is  the  cause  of  this  thing,  that  our 
brother  produceth  to  us  a  feast  in  the  morning,  and  a  feast  at  noon,  and  a 
feast  at  sunset,  and,  at  the  end  of  the  night,  sweetmeats;  and  that  every 
thing  that  remaineth  he  distributed!  to  the  poor  ?  This  is  the  action  of 
sultans.  And  whence  came  to  him  this  prosperity  ?  We  never  see  him 
buy  any  thing,  nor  doth  he  light  a  lire,  nor  hath  he  either  kitchen  or  cook. 
Shall  we  not  inquire  respecting  these  various  viands,  and  respecting  these 
sweetmeats?  His  brother  replied,  By  Allah,  I  know  not.  But  knovvest 
thou  any  one  who  will  acquaint  us  with  the  truth  of  this  matter?  None, 
said  Salira,  will  acquaint  us  excepting  our  mother.  They  therefore  con- 
trived for  themselves  a  stratagem,  and,  going  in  to  their  mother  during  the 
absence  of  their  brother,  they  said,  O  our  mother,  we  are  hungry.  So  she 
replied,  Kejoice  at  good  news.  And  she  entered  the  saloon,  demanded  of 
the  servant  of  the  pair  of  saddle-bags,  and  brought  out  to  them  hot  viands  ; 
whereupon  they  said,  O  our  mother,  this  food  is  hot,  and  thou  hast  not 
cooked,  nor  blown  [a  tire].  She  replied,  It  is  from  the  pair  of  saddle-bags. 
And  they  said  to  her,  What  is  this  pair  of  saddle-bags  ?  She  answered 
them,  It  is  enchanted,  and  the  demand  is  obtained  by  virtue  of  the  charm. 
And  she  acquainted  them  with  the  case,  and  said  to  them,  Conceal  the  se- 
cret. They  replied,  The  secret  is  concealed,  O  our  mother;  but  teach 
us  the  mode  of  this.  She  therefore  taught  them ;  and  they  proceeded  to 
put  forth  their  hands,  and  to  take  out  the  thing  that  they  demanded.  And 
their  brother  had  no  knowledge  thereof.  So  when  they  knew  the  prop- 
erty of  the  pair  of  saddle  bags,  Salim  said  to  Selim,  O  my  brother,  how  long 
shall  we  remain  with  Joudar  like  servants  and  eat  his  alms  ?  Shall  we  not 
employ  a  stratagem  against  him,  and  take  this  pair  of  saddle-bags,  and  en- 
joy it  ?  How,  said  Selim,  shall  the  stratagem  be  contrived?  Salim  an- 
swered, We  will  sell  our  brother  to  the  Captain  of  the  Sea  of  Suez.  And 
how  shall  we  manage,  asked  the  other,  that  we  may  sell  him?  I  will  go 
with  thee,  answered  Salim,  to  that  captain,  and  we  will  invite  him  to  an 
entertainment  with  two  of  his  company;  and  what  I  shall  say  to  Joudar, 
do  thou  declare  me  to  be  veracious  therein;  and  at  the  close  of  the  night  I 
will  show  thee  what  I  will  do. 

Thus  they  agreed  to  sell  their  brother.  They  went  to  the  house  of  the 
Captain  of  the  Sea  of  Suez,  and  Salim  and  Selim  both  went  in  to  the  cap- 
tain, and  said  to  him,  O  captain,  we  have  come  to  thee  on  account  of  an 
affair  that  will  rejoice  thee.  So  he  replied,  Good.  And  they  said  to  him, 
We  aid  two  brothers,  and  we  have  a  third  brother,  a  profligate,  in  whom 
is  no  good  ;  and  our  father  died,  leaving  to  us  a  sum  of  money.  Then  we 
divided  the  money,  and  he  took  what  fell  to  his  kit  of  the  inheritance!,  and 
expended  it  in  debauchery  and  vice ;  and  when  he  was  reduced  to  poverty, 
he  domineered  over  us,  and  proceeded  to  complain  against  us  to  the  tyrants. 
and  to  say.  Ye  two  have  taken  my  property,  and  the  property  of  my  fa- 
ther ;  and  we  referred  our  case  to  the  judges,  and  lost  the  property.  After 
this  he  Buffered  us  a  while,  and  complained  against  us  a  second  time,  so 
that  he  brought  us  to  poverty,  and  he  desisted  not  from  Oppressing  us  ; 
wherefon  we  have  become  impatient  of  him,  and  desire  that  thou  purchase 
him  of  us.  So  ho  said  to  them,  Can  ye  employ  a  stratagem  against  him, 
and  bring  him  to  me  here  ?     If  so,  I  will  send  him  quickly  to  the  sea. 

223 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAK. 


'!#vi 


Suez. 


Tliey  answered,  We  can  not  bring  him  ;  but  thou  shalt  be  our  guest,  and 
bring  with  thee  two,  no  more  ;  and  when  he  sleepeth,  we  five  will  assist  one 
another  against  him,  and  seize  him,  and  put  a  gag  in  his  mouth,  and  take 
him  under  the  covering  of  night.  Then  thou  shalt  carry  him  forth  from 
the  house,  and  do  with  him  as  thou  wilt.  And  he  said,  I  hear  and  obey. 
Will  ye  sell  him  for  forty  pieces  of  gold  ?  They  answered  him,  Yes ; 
and  after  the  time  of  afternoon  prayers  thou  shalt  come  to  such  a  quarter, 
where  thou  wilt  find  one  of  us  waiting  for  thee.     And  he  replied,  Go  ye. 

They  therefore  sought  Joudar ;  and  after  they  had  waited  a  while,  Sa- 
Um  advanced  to  him  and  kissed  his  hand.  So  Joudar  said  to  him,  What 
dost  thou  want,  O  my  brother?  And  he  answered  him,  Know  that  I  have 
a  friend  who  invited  me  to  entertainments  many  times  in  his  house  during 
thine  absence,  and  he  is  entitled  to  a  thousand  kindnesses  from  me,  and  he 
always  treateth  me  with  honor,  as  my  brother  knoweth.  Now  I  saluted 
him  to-day,  aud  he  invited  me;  but  1  said  to  him,  I  can  not  quit  my  brother. 
He  therefore  said,  Bring  him  with  thee.  And  I  replied,  He  will  not  con- 
sent to  that;  but  if  thou  and  thy  brothers  will  be  my  guests — for  his  brothers 
were  sitting  by  him  ;  so  I  invited  them,  thinking  that  I  should  invite  them 
aud  they  would  refuse.  But  when  I  invited  him  and  his  brothers,  he  con- 
sented, and  said,  Wait  for  me  at  the  door  of  the  mosque,  and  I  will  come 
with  my  brothers.  Therefore  I  fear  that  he  will  come,  and  am  abashed  at 
thee.  Wilt  thou,  then,  comfort  my  heart,  and  entertain  them  this  night? 
Thy  good  things  are  abundant,  O  my  brother.  But  if  thou  consent  not, 
•five  me  leave  to  take  them  into  the  neighbor's  house.  And  Joudar  said  to 
him,  Wherefore  shouldst  thou  take  them  into  the  neighbor's  house  ?  Is 
our  house,  then,  narrow,  or  have  we  not  aught  wherewith  to  give  them  a 
supper?  Shame  upon  thee,  to  consult  me.  Thou  hast  nothing  to  require 
but  nice  viands,  and  sweetmeats  in  such  quantities  that  there  shall  remain 
of  them ;  and  if  thou  bring  people  and  I  be  absent,  demand  of  thy  mother, 
and  she  will  produce  to  thee  viands  more  than  enough.  Go,  bring  them. 
Blessings  have  betided  us.  So  he  kissed  his  hand,  and  went  and  sat  at  the 
004 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

door  of  the  mosque  till  after  the  time  of  afternoon  prayers  ;  and  lo,  they 
approached  him.  He  therefore  took  them  and  conducted  them  into  the 
house ;  and  when  Joudar  saw  them,  he  said  to  them,  Welcome  to  you ! 
And  he  seated  them,  and  made  himself  familiar  with  them,  not  knowing 
what  was  secretly  purposed  to  betide  him  from  them.  Then  he  demanded 
of  his  mother  the  supper,  and  she  proceeded  to  take  forth  from  the  pair 
of  saddle-bags,  while  he  said,  Bring  such  a  dish;  until  there  were  before 
them  forty  different  dishes.  So  they  ate  until  they  were  satisfied,  and  the 
table  was  removed  ;  the  sailors  thinking  that  this  hospitable  entertainment 
proceeded  from  Salim.  And  when  a  third  of  the  night  had  passed,  Joudar 
caused  the  sweetmeats  to  be  brought  to  them:  and  Salim  was  the  one  who 
served  them.  Joudar  and  Selim  sat  until  they  expressed  a  desire  to  sleep; 
when  Joudar  arose  and  laid  himself  down,  and  the  others  lay  down  until  he 
was  inadvertent ;  whereupon  they  arose  and  assisted  one  another  against  him, 
and  he  awoke  not  until  the  gag  was  in  his  mouth.  They  bound  his  hands 
behind  him,  carried  him  away,  and  took  him  forth  from  the  pavilion  under 
the  covering  of  the  night,  and  sent  him  to  Suez,  where  they  put  shackles 
upon  his  feet,  and  he  served  in  silence,  and  ceased  not  to  serve  in  the  man- 
ner of  captives  and  slaves  for  a  whole  year.  Such  was  the  case  of  Joudar. 
But  as  to  the  case  of  his  two  brothers,  when  they  arose  in  the  morning 
they  went  in  to  their  mother,  and  said  to  her,  O  our  mother,  our  brother 
Joudar  hath  not  awoke.  So  she  replied,  Wake  ye  him.  They  asked  her, 
Where  is  he  lying?  And  she  answered  them,  With  the  guests.  They 
said,  Probably  he  hath  gone  with  the  guests  while  we  were  asleep,  O  our 
mother.  It  seemeth  that  our  brother  hath  tasted  absence  from  his  coun- 
try, and  desired  to  enter  the  hidden  treasures ;  for  we  heard  him  speaking 
with  the  Mograbins,  and  they  said  to  him,  We  will  take  thee  with  us,  and 
we  will  open  for  thee  the  treasure.  Hath  he,  she  said,  been  with  the 
Mograbins  ?  They  replied,  Were  they  not  guests  with  us  ?  And  she  said. 
Probably  he  hath  gone  with  them  ;  but  (iod  will  direct  him  right.  This 
is  a  fortunate  person ;  he  will  certainly  come  back  with  abundant  riches. 
And  she  wept,  and  his  separation  was  grievous  unto  her.  So  they  said  to 
her,  O  accursed,  dost  thou  love  Joudar  with  all  this  love,  when,  if  we  are 
absent  or  present,  thou  neither  rejoicest  in  us  nor  mournest  for  us  ?  Are 
we  not  thy  sons  as  Joudar  is  thy  son  ?  She  answered,  Ye  are  my  sons ; 
but  ye  are  wicked  wretches,  and  ye  are  entitled  to  no  favor  from  me ;  for 
from  the  day  that  your  father  died  I  have  not  experienced  from  you  any 
good ;  and  as  to  Joudar,  I  have  experienced  from  him  abundant  good,  and 
he  hath  comforted  my  heart,  and  treated  ine  with  honor;  therefore  it  be- 
hoveth  me  to  weep  for  him  ;  for  his  kindness  was  shown  to  me  and  to  you. 
And  when  they  heard  these  words,  they  reviled  her  and  beat  her;  and 
they  entered,  and  proceeded  to  search  for  the  pair  of  saddle-bags  until  they 
found  it ;  and  they  took  the  jewels  from  the  one  half  [of  one  pair  of  sad- 
dle-bags], and  the  gold  from  the  other  half,  and  the  enchanted  pair  of  sad- 
dle-bags also,  saying  to  her,  This  was  the  property  of  our  father.  She 
replied,  No,  by  Allah ;  but  it  is  the  property  of  jour  brother  Joudar,  who 
brought  it  from  the  country  of  the  Mograbins.  They  said  to  her,  Thou 
liest ;  this  was  the  property  of  our  father,  and  we  will  dispose  of  it.  So 
they  divided  it  [that  is,  the  jewels  and  gold]  between  them;  but  a  dissen- 
sion ensued  between  them  respecting  the  enchanted  pair  of  saddle-bags. 
Salim  said,  I  will  take  it.  And  Selim  said,  I  will  take  it.  And  opposition 
took  place  between  them.     Their  mother  therefore  said,  O  my  sons,  the 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

pair  of  saddle-bags  in  which  were  the  jewels  and  the  gold  ye  have  divided, 
and  this  can  not  be  divided,  nor  can  its  value  be  given  in  money  ;  alid  if  it 
be  cut  in  twain,  its  charm  will  be  annulled  ;  but  leave  it  with  me,  and  I  will 
take  forth  for  you  what  ye  shall  eat  on  every  occasion,  and  will  be  content 
to  take  with  you  a  morsel ;  if,  moreover,  ye  clothe  me  with  any  thing,  it 
will  be  of  your  favor ;  and  each  of  you  shall  establish  for  himself  a  traffic 
with  the  people.  Ye  are  my  sons,  and  I  am  your  mother;  then  let  us  re- 
main in  our  present  state  lest  your  brother  come,  in  fear  of  disgrace.  But 
they  accepted  not  her  proposal.  They  passed  the  next  night  contending 
together ;  and  a  man  heard  them,  an  officer  belonging  to  the  guards  of  the 
king,  being  a  guest  in  a  house  adjoining  the  house  of  Joudar,  a  window  of 
which  was  open.  So  the  officer  looked  from  the  window,  and  heard  the 
whole  of  the  dispute,  and  the  words  that  they  uttered,  and  the  division. 
And  when  the  morning  came,  this  officer  went  in  to  the  king,  whose  name 
was  Shemseldowla,  the  king  of  Egypt  in  that  age  :  and  when  the  officer 
went  in  to  him,  he  acquainted  him  with  that  which  he  had  heard  ;  where- 
upon the  king  sent  to  the  two  brothers  of  Joudar  and  brought  them,  and 
subjected  them  to  torture.  So  they  confessed ;  and  he  took  the  two  pairs 
of  saddle-bags  from  them  and  put  them  in  prison.  Then  he  assigned  to 
the  mother  of  Joudar  such  allowances  every  day  as  would  suffice  her. 
Thus  did  it  happen  unto  them. 

Now,  again,  as  to  Joudar,  he  remained  a  whole  year  serving  at  Suez,  and 
after  the  year  he  and  others  were  in  the  ship,  and  there  arose  against  them 
a  wind  which  cast  the  ship  wherein  they  were  upon  a  mountain,  and  it 
went  to  pieces,  and  all  that  was  in  it  was  submerged.  None  reached  the 
shore  excepting  Joudar  ;  and  the  rest  died.  And  when  he  had  reached  the 
shore,  he  journeyed  until  he  came  to  an  encampment  of  Arabs  by  water 
and  pasture ;  and  they  asked  him  respecting  his  state ;  wherefore  he  in- 
formed them  that  he  was  a  sailor  in  a  ship,  and  he  related  to  them  his 
story.  Now  there  was  in  the  encampment  a  merchant,  of  the  people  of 
Jiddah  ;  and  he  pitied  him,  and  said  to  him,  Wilt  thou  serve  us,  O  man  of 
Cairo  ?  If  so,  I  will  clothe  thee,  and  take  thee  with  me  to  Jiddah.  So  he 
served  him,  and  journeyed  with  him  until  they  arrived  at  Jiddah  ;  and  the 
merchant  treated  him  with  much  favor.  Then  his  master  the  merchant 
desired  to  perform  the  pilgrimage,  and  took  him  with  him  to  Mecca :  so 
when  they  entered  it,  Joudar  went  to  perform  the  compassings  in  the  Tem- 
ple ;  and  while  he  was  compassing,  lo,  he  found  his  friend  the  Mograbin 
Abdelsamad  compassing  also.  Therefore,  when  the  Mograbin  saw  him,  he 
saluted  him,  and  asked  him  respecting  his  state.  And  he  wept,  and  ac- 
quainted him  with  that  which  had  befallen  him.  And  upon  this  the  Mo- 
grabin took  him  with  him  until  he  entered  his  house,  where  he  treated  him 
honorably,  and  clad  him  in  a  dress  of  which  there  existed  not  the  equal ; 
and  he  said  to  him,  Evil  hath  quitted  thee,  O  Joudar.  He  then  performed 
for  him  an  operation  of  geomancy,  whereupon  that  which  had  befallen  Jou- 
dar's  two  brothers  appeared  to  him,  and  he  said,  Know,  O  Joudar,  that 
such  and  such  things  have  befallen  thy  two  brothers,  and  they  are  confined 
in  the  prison  of  the  King  of  Egypt ;  but  thou  shalt  be  welcome  until  thou 
hast  accomplished  thy  rites  of  sacrifice  ;  and  nothing  shall  betide  but  good 
fortune.  So  Joudar  said  to  him,  ()  my  master,  wait  until  I  go  and  take 
leave  of  the  merchant  with  whom  I  have  been  living,  and  come  back  unto 
thee.  And  the  Mograbin  said,  Dost  thou  owe  money  ?  He  answered, 
No.  The  Mograbin  therefore  said,  Go;  take  leave  of  him,  and  come  back 
•22G 


THE  STnRY  OF  .FoUDAK. 


Encampment  of  Arabs. 


immediately  ;  for  bread  impose th  obligation  in  the  estimation  of  the  ingenu- 
ous. Accordingly,  he  went  and  took  leave  of  the  merchant,  and  said  to  him, 
I  have  met  my  brother.  And  the  merchant  said  to  him,  Go;  bring  him, 
and  we  will  make  for  him  an  entertainment.  But  Joudar  replied,  It  is  not 
necessary,  for  he  is  of  the  people  of  affluence,  and  hath  many  servants. 
And  the  merchant  gave  him  twenty  pieces  of  gold,  saying  to  him,  Acquit 
me  of  responsibility.  80  he  took  leave  of  him,  and  went  forth  from  him, 
and,  seeing  a  poor  man,  he  gave  him  the  twenty  pieces  of  gold. 

He  then  repaired  to  Abdelsamad  the  Mograbin,  and  lie  remained  with 
him  until  they  had  accomplished  the  rites  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  pilgrimage  ; 
whereupon  the  Mograbin  gave  him  the  seal-ring  that  he  had  taken  forth 
from  the  treasure  of  Shamardal,  and  said  to  him,  Take  this  seal-ring;  for  it 
will  cause  thee  to  attain  thy  desire,  since  it  hath  a  servant  whose  name  is 
Radelcasif,  and  whatever  thou  shall  require  of  the  things  of  the  world,  rub 
the  seal-ring,  and  the  servant  will  appear  to  thee,  [and  he  will  bring  it  thee] ; 
and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  command  him  to  do,  he  will  do  it  for  thee.  And 
he  rubbed  it  before  him  ;  whereupon  the  servant  appeared  to  him,  calling 
out,  At  thy  service,  O  my  master !  What  dost  thou  demand  /  It  shall  be 
given  thee.  Wilt  thou,  then,  render  flourishing  a  ruined  city,  or  ruin  a 
city  that  is  flourishing,  or  slay  a  king,  or  rout  an  army  ?  The  Mograbin 
replied,  O  Radelcasif,  this  hath  become  thy  master;  and  act  thou  well  to 
him,     Then  he  dismissed  him.  and  said  to  Joudar,  Rub  the  seal-ring,  and 

007 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

its  servant  will  appear  before  thee,  and  do  thou  command  him  to  do  what 
thou  desirest ;  for  he  will  not  disobey  thee.  Repair  to  thy  country,  and 
take  care  of  the  ring ;  for  thou  wilt  delude  with  it  thine  enemies  ;  and  be 
not  ignorant  of  the  potency  of  this  ring.  Joudar  therefore  replied,  O  my 
master,  with  thy  permission  I  will  repair  to  my  country.  And  the  Mogra- 
bin  said  to  him,  Rub  the  seal-ring ;  thereupon  the  servant  will  appear  to 
thee,  and  mount  thou  upon  his  back ;  and  if  thou  say  to  him,  Convey  me 
this  clay  to  my  country,  he  will  not  disobey  thy  command. 

Joudar  upon  this  bade  Abdelsamad  farewell,  and  rubbed  the  seal-ring, 
and  Radelcasif  presented  himself  before  him,  saying  to  him,  At  thy  service  ! 
Demand  :  it  shall  be  given  thee.  So  he  said  to  him,  Convey  me  to  Cairo 
this  day.  And  he  replied,  That  shall  be  done  for  thee.  He  took  hiin  up, 
and  flew  with  him  from  the  time  of  noon  until  midnight,  when  he  alighted 
with  him  in  the  court  of  the  house  of  his  mother,  and  departed.  He  there- 
fore went  in  to  his  mother;  and  when  she  saw  him,  she  arose  and  wept, 
and  saluted  him,  and  informed  him  of  that  which  had  been  done  to  his  two 
brothers  by  the  king,  how  he  had  beaten  them,  and  taken  the  enchanted 
pair  of  saddle-bags,  and  the  pair  of  saddle-bags  containing  the  gold  and  jew- 
els. And  when  Joudar  heard  that,  the  state  of  his  brothers  was  not  a  light 
matter  to  him  ;  but  he  said  to  his  mother,  Grieve  not  for  that  which  hath 
escaped  thee ;  for  instantly  I  will  show  thee  what  I  will  do,  and  I  will  bring 
.ny  brothers.  Then  he  rubbed  the  seal-ring,  and  the  servant  appeared  to 
him,  saying,  At  thy  service !  Demand  :  it  shall  be  given  thee.  And  he 
said  to  him,  I  command  thee  to  bring  me  my  two  brothers  from  the  king's 
prison.  So  he  descended  into  the  earth,  and  came  not  up  save  in  the  midst 
of  the  prison.  Now  Salim  and  Selim  were  in  the  most  violent  distress,  and 
in  great  affliction,  by  reason  of  the  misery  of  imprisonment ;  they  had 
wished  for  death,  and  one  of  them  was  saying  to  the  other,  By  Allah,  O  my 
brother,  our  trouble  hath  become  wearisome  to  us.  and  how  long  shall  we 
remain  in  this  prison  ?  Death  in  it  would  be  ease  to  us.  And  while  they 
were  in  this  state,  lo,  the  earth  clove  asunder,  and  Radelcasif  came  forth  to 
them,  and,  taking  them  both  up,  descended  into  the  earth.  They  swoon- 
ed in  consequence  of  the  violence  of  their  fear  ;  and  when  they  recovered, 
they  found  themselves  in  their  house,  where  they  saw  their  brother  sitting 
with  his  mother  by  his  side.  And  he  said  to  them,  Salutations  to  you,  O 
my  brothers !  Ye  have  cheered  me  by  your  presence.  Upon  this  they 
inclined  their  faces  toward  the  ground  and  began  to  weep.  But  he  said  to 
them,  Weep  not;  for  the  devil  and  covetousness  forced  you  to  do  that. 
How  could  you  sell  me  ?  But  I  will  console  myself  by  remembering  Jo- 
seph ;  for  his  brothers  did  unto  him  what  was  worse  than  your  deed,  since 
they  cast  him  into  the  pit.  Turn  ye,  however,  with  repentance  unto  God, 
and  beg  his  forgiveness,  and  tie  will  forgive  you  ;  for  He  is  the  Abundant 
ni  forgiveness,  the  Merciful.  I  have  pardoned  you.  Welcome  to  you! 
No  harm  shall  befall  you.  And  he  proceeded  to  appease  their  minds  until 
lie  had  soothed  their  hearts ;  and  he  related  to  them  all  that  he  had  suffer- 
ed at  Suez  [and  afterward]  until  he  met  with  the  Sheikh  Abdelsamad,  in- 
forming them  also  of  the  seal-ring.  So  they  said,  O  our  brother,  be  not 
angry  with  us  this  time.  If  we  return  to  our  former  conduct,  do  with  us 
what  thou  wilt.  He  replied,  No  harm  ;  but  tell  me  what  the  king  did  unto 
you.  And  they  said,  He  beat  us  and  threatened  us,  and  took  the  two  pairs 
of  saddle-bags  from  us. 

Thereupon  he  said,  Will  he  not  care?     And  he  rubbed  the  seal-ring. 
v?28 


THE  STORY  OF  JO.UDAB. 


The  Genie  appearing  to  tiie  two  brothers  in  the  prison. 


So  the  servant  presented  himself  before  him.  And  when  his  brothers  be- 
held him,  they  feared  him,  and  imagined  that  Joudar  would  order  the  serv- 
ant to  slay  them.  They  therefore  went  to  their  mother  and  began  to  say, 
O  our  mother,  we  throw  ourselves  upon  thy  generosity  !  O  our  mother,  in- 
tercede for  us  !  And  she  replied,  O  my  sons,  fear  not.  Then  Joudar  said 
to  the  servant,  I  command  thee  to  bring  me  all  that  is  in  the  treasury  of 
the  king,  of  jewels  and  other  things,  and  to  leave  not  in  it  aught;  also,  that 
thou  bring  mo  the  enchanted  pair  of  saddle  bags,  and  the  pair  of  saddle- 
bags containing  the  jewels  [and  gold],  which  the  king  took  from  my  two 
brothers.  So  he  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  And  he  went  immediately,  col- 
lected what  was  in  the  treasury,  brought  the  two  pairs  of  saddle-bags  with 
the  inclosed  deposits,  and  placed  all  that  was  in  the  treasury  before  Joudar, 
saying,  O  my  master,  J  have  not  left  in  the  treasury  any  thing.  Upon  this 
Joudar  ordered  his  mother  to  take  care  of  the  pair  of  saddle-bags  containing 
the  jewels  [and  gold],  put  the  enchanted  pair  of  saddle-bags  before  him,  and 
said  to  the  servant,  I  command  thee  to  build  for  me,  during  this  night,  a 
lofty  palace,  and  to  decorate  it  with  water-gold,  and  spread  it  with  magnifi- 
cent furniture,  and  let  not  morning  come  before  thou  hast  completed  the 
whole  of  it.  The  servant  replied,  That  shall  be  done  for  thee.  And  he 
descended  into  the  earth.     Then  Joudar  took  forth  the  viands,  and  they 

2-29 


TITR  STORY  OF  JOUDAR 


Joudar's  palace  aud  gardens. 

ate,  and  enjoyed  themselves,  and  slept.  But  as  to  the  affair  of  the  serv- 
ant, he  collected  his  Ons,*  and  gave  orders  to  build  the  palace.  So  some 
of  them  began  to  hew  the  stones,  and  some  to  build,  and  some  to  whitewash, 
and  some  to  paint,  and  some  to  spread  the  furniture, ;  and  the  daylight  came 
not  before  the  order  of  the  palace  was  perfect.  The  servant  thereupon 
went  up  to  Joudar,  and  said,  O  my  master,  the  palace  is  finished,  and  its 
order  is  perfect ;  if,  then,  thou  wilt  go  forth  and  divert  thyself  with  a  view 
of  it,  go  forth. 

He  therefore  went  forth  with  his  mother  and  his  two  brothers,  and  saw 
this  palace  to  be  one  of  which  there  existed  not  the  like,  confounding  the 
minds  by  the  beauty  of  its  order.  So  Joudar  was  delighted  with  it,  while 
he  was  yet  passing  along  the  beaten  track ;  and  with  all  this,  he  had  ex- 
pended nothing  upon  it.  He  then  said  to  his  mother,  Wilt  thou  reside  in 
this  palace  ?  She  answered  him,  O  my  son,  I  will  reside  in  it.  And  she 
prayed  for  him.  Then  he  rubbed  the  seal-ring;  whereupon  the  servant 
appeared,  saying,  At  thy  service  !  And  he  said  to  him,  I  command  thee 
to  bring  me  forty  white  and  beautiful  slave  girls,  and  forty  black  slave  girls, 
and  forty  mamlouks,  and  forty  male  black  slaves.  The  servant  replied, 
That  shall  be  done  for  thee.  And  he  repaired  with  forty  of  his  Ons  to  the 
countries  of  India,  and   Sinde,  and   Persia;  and  whenever  they  beheld  a 


*  Genii  of  an  inferior  class. 


230 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAK. 

beautiful  damsel,  they  carried  her  off;  and  when  they  saw  a  young  man. 
they  carried  him  off.  He  sent  also  forty  others,  who  brought  elegant  black 
slave  girls;  and  forty  others  brought  male  black  slaves.  All  came  to  the 
abode  of  Joudar,  and  they  filled  it.  Then  he  displayed  them  to  Joudar, 
and  they  pleased  him;  and  he  said,  Bring  for  each  person  a  dress  of  the 
most  magnificent  apparel.  The  servant  replied,  Ready.  And  Joudar  said, 
Bring  a  dress  for  my  mother  to  put  on,  and  a  dress  for  myself  to  put  on. 
So  he  brought  all,  and  clad  the  female  slaves,  and  said  to  them,  This  is  your 
mistress  ;  therefore  kiss  her  hand,  and  disobey  her  not,  but  serve  her,  white 
and  black.  The  mamlouks  also  clad  themselves,  and  kissed  the  hand  of 
Joudar:  and  his  two  brothers  clad  themselves  ;  and  Joudar  became  like  a 
king,  and  his  two  brothers  like  viziers.  His  house  was  ample  :  so  he  lodged 
Salim  and  his  female  slaves  in  one  part,  and  Selim  and  his  female  slaves  in 
another  part ;  and  he  and  his  mother  resided  in  the  new  palace  ;  each  being 
in  his  abode  like  a  king.     Such  was  their  case. 

But  as  to  the  treasurer  of  the  king,  he  desired  to  take  some  things  from 
the  treasury  :  so  he  entered,  and  saw  not  in  it  aught,  but  found  it  as  the 
poet  hath  said  : 

The  chambers  were  like  a  bee-hive  well  stocked  :  when  their  bees  quitted  them, 
they  became  empty. 

Upon  this  he  uttered  a  great  cry  and  fell  down  in  a  swoon  ;  and  when  he 
recovered,  he  went  forth  from  the  treasury,  leaving  its  door  open,  and,  go- 
ing in  to  the  King  Shemseldowla,  he  said,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  what 
we  tell  thee  is  this,  that  the  treasury  hath  become  empty  during  this  night. 
So  the  king  said,  What  hast  thou  done  with  my  riches  that  were  in  my 
treasury?  He  answered,  By  Allah,  I  have  not  done  with  them  aught,  nor 
do  I  know  the  cause  of  their  being  exhausted.  Yesterday  I  entered  the 
treasury,  and  beheld  it  filled  ;  and  to-day  I  entered  it,  and  beheld  it  empty, 
with  nothing  in  it :  yet  the  doors  were  locked,  and  it  hath  not  been  broken 
through,  nor  hath  its  wooden  lock  been  broken,  nor  hath  a  thief  entered  it. 
And  the  king  said,  Have  the  two  pairs  of  saddle-bags  gone  from  it  1  The 
treasurer  answered,  Yes.  And  upon  this  the  reason  of  the  king  tied  from 
his  head,  and  he  rose  upon  his  feet,  and  said  to  the  treasurer,  Go  before 
me.  So  he  went,  and  the  king  followed  him  until  they  came  to  the  treas- 
ury, and  he  found  not  in  it  aught.  The  king  therefore  was  vexed,  and  he 
said,  Who  hath  assaulted  my  treasury,  and  not  feared  my  authority  ?  And 
he  was  violently  enraged.  He  then  went  forth,  and  held  a  court,  and  the 
great  officers  of  the  army  came,  every  one  of  them  imagining  that  the  king 
was  incensed  against  him  ;  and  the  king  said,  O  soldiers,  know  that  my 
treasury  hath  been  plundered  during  this  night,  and  I  know  not  who  hath 
dime  this  deed,  arid  assaulted  me,  and  not  feared  me.  So  they  said,  And 
how  hath  this  happened  .'  He  replied,  Ask  the  treasurer.  They  there- 
fore asked  him,  and  he  answered,  Yesterday  it  was  full,  and  to-day  I  en- 
tered it  and  beheld  it  empty  ;  yet  it  hath  not  been  broken  through,  nor  hath 
its  door  been  broken. 

New  all  the  soldiers  wondered  at  these  words,  and  no  reply  had  been 
given  by  them,  when  the  officer,  who  on  a  former  occasion  betrayed  Selim 
and  Salim,  eame  in  to  the  king,  and  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  all  the  night  I 
have  been  amusing  myself  with  the  sight  of  builders  building,  and  when 
daylight  came  I  saw  a  palace  constructed,  the  like  of  which  existeth  not. 
I  therefore  asked,  and  it  was  said  to  me   that  Joudar  had  come  and  built 

23 1 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

this  palace,  and  with  him  were  mamlouks  and  black  slaves;  that  he  had 
brought  abundant  riches,  and  delivered  his  two  brothers  from  the  prison, 
and  was  in  his  mansion  like  a  sultan.  So  the  king  said,  Examine  the  pris- 
on. And  they  examined  it,  and  saw  not  Salim  and  Selira.  They  there- 
fore returned,  and  acquainted  him  with  that  which  had  happened  ;  where- 
upon the  king  said,  My  offender  hath  become  manifest ;  for  he  who  deliv- 
ered Salim  and  Selim  from  the  prison,  and  took  the  two  pairs  of  saddle-bags, 
is  the  person  who  took  my  property.  And  the  vizier  said,  O  my  lord,  who 
is  he  ?  The  king  answered,  Their  brother  Joudar ;  but,  O  vizier,  send  to 
him  an  emir  with  fifty  men  to  seize  him  and  his  two  brothers,  and  to  put 
seals  upon  all  his  property,  and  to  bring  them  to  me  that  I  may  hang  them. 
And  he  was  violently  enraged,  and  said,  Ho  !  quickly  send  to  them  an  emit- 
to  bring  them  to  me  that  I  may  put  them  to  death.  But  the  vizier  said 
to  him,  Be  clement,  for  God  is  clement:  He  is  not  hasty  toward  his  serv- 
ant when  he  disobeyeth  him.  He  who  hath  built  a  palace  in  one  night,  as 
they  have  said,  no  one  in  the  world  can  be  compared  with  him ;  and  I  fear 
for  the  emir  that  some  trouble  may  befall  him  from  Joudar.  Have  patience, 
therefore,  that  I  may  contrive  for  thee  some  plan,  or  till  thou  see  the  truth 
of  the  case,  and  what  thou  desirest  thou  wilt  attain,  O  king  of  the  age.  So 
the  king  said,  Contrive  for  me  a  plan,  O  vizier.  The  vizier  replied,  Send 
to  him  the  emir,  and  invite  him  to  an  entertainment.  Then  I  will  pay  all 
attention  to  him  for  thee,  and  make  a  show  of  friendship  to  him,  and  ask 
him  respecting  his  state.  After  that  thou  shalt  see :  if  his  courage  be 
strong,  we  will  employ  some  stratagem  against  him  ;  and  if  his  courage  be 
weak,  seize  thou  him,  and  do  with  him  as  thou  desirest.  And  the  king 
said,  Send  and  invite  him. 

Accordingly,  he  ordered  an  emir,  whose  name  was  the  Emir  Osman,  to 
go  to  Joudar  and  invite  him,  and  to  say  to  him,  The  king  summoneth  thee 
to  an  entertainment.  And  the  king  said  to  him,  Return  not  but  with  him. 
Now  that  emir  was  stupid,  and  haughty  in  mind  ;  and  when  he  descended, 
he  saw  before  the  door  of  the  palace  [of  Joudar]  a  eunuch  sitting  upou  a 
chair;  and  when  the  Emir  Osman  arrived  at  the  palace,  the  eunuch  rose 
not  to  him,  but  remained  as  though  no  one  were  approaching  him  :  yet 
there  were  with  the  Emir  Osman  fifty  men.  And  the  Emir  Osman  came 
up,  and  said  to  him,  O  slave,  where  is  thy  master  ?  He  answered  him,  In 
the  palace.  And  he  proceeded  to  speak  to  him  in  a  reclining  posture.  So 
the  Emir  Osman  was  enraged,  and  said  to  him,  O  ill-omened  slave,  art  thou 
not  abashed  at  me,  that  when  I  speak  to  thee  thou  liest  down  like  those 
who  have  no  shame  ?  But  he  replied,  Go  along.  Be  not  loquacious.  And 
the  emir  heard  not  from  him  these  words  before  he  became  infused  with 
rage,  and,  drawing  forth  his  mace,  he  was  about  to  beat  the  eunuch,  not 
knowing  that  he  was  a  devil.  When  the  eunuch,  however,  saw  that  he  had 
drawn  forth  the  mace,  he  arose  and  rushed  upon  him,  took  the  mace  from 
him,  and  struck  him  four  blows;  and  when  the  fifty  men  saw  it,  the  beat- 
ing of  their  master  displeased  them  :  they  therefore  drew  their  swords,  and 
desired  to  slay  the  slave.  But  he  said  to  them,  Do  ye  draw  the  swords, 
O  dogs  ?  And  he  fell  upon  them,  breaking  the  bones  of  every  one  whom 
he  smote  with  the  mace,  and  drowning  him  in  blood.  So  they  were  routed 
before  him,  and  ceased  not  to  flee,  while  he  still  beat  them,  until  they  were 
far  from  the  door  of  the  palace,  when  he  returned,  and  seated  himself  again 
upon  his  chair,  not  caring  for  any  one.  But  as  to  the  Emir  Osman  and  his 
company,  they  returned  routed  and  beaten,  until  they  stood  before  the 
030 


THE  STORY  OF  .IOUDAK. 

King  Shemseldowla,  and  they  acquainted  him  with  that  which  had  hap- 
pened unto  them,  the  Emir  Osman  stvying  to  the  king,  O  king  of  the  age, 
when  I  arrived  at  the  door  of  the  palace,  I  saw  a  eunuch  sitting  at  the  door, 

'-■     mi 

;    ... 


The  emir  at  the  door  of  Joudar's  palace. 

upon  a  chair  of  gold,  and  he  was  haughty  :  when  he  beheld  mo  approach- 
ing him,  lie  laid  himself  down,  after  lie  had  been  sitting,  and  despised  me, 
not  rising  to  mo;  and  I  began  to  speak  to  him;  but  he  replied  to  me  still 
lying  down.  So  passion  seized  me,  and  I  drew  forth  the  mace  upon  him, 
and  was  about  to  beat  him;  but  he  took  the  mace  from  me  and  beat  me 
with  it.  He  beat  also  my  party,  breaking  their  heads,  and  we  (led  from 
before  him,  and  could  net  prevail  against  him.  Upon  this  the  king  was  en- 
raged, and  lie  said,  Let  a  hundred  men  go  down  to  him.  They  therefore 
went  down  to  him  and  approached  him  ;  but  he  rose  against  them  with  the 
mace,  and  censed  not  to  deal  his  blows  among  them  until  they  lied  from  be- 
fore him  •  whereupon  he  returned,  and  seated  himself  again  upon  the  chair. 

233 


THE  STORY   OF  Jul  OAK. 

So  the  hundred  men  went  back ;  and  when  they  came  to  the  king,  they 
informed  him,  saying  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  we  have  fled  from  before 
him  in  our  fear  of  him.  Then  the  king  said,  Let  two  hundred  go  down. 
And  they  went  down  ;  but  he  routed  them,  and  they  returned.  There- 
fore the  king  said  to  the  vizier.  I  require  thee,  O  vizier,  to  go  down  with 
five  hundred  men,  and  to  bring  me  this  eunuch  quickly,  together  with  his 
master  Joudar  and  his  two  brothers.  He  replied,  O  king  of  the  age,  I  need 
not  soldiers ;  but  I  will  go  alone  to  him,  without  weapon.  And  the  king 
said,  Go,  and  do  what  thou  shalt  see  fit. 

So  the  vizier  threw  down  the  weapon,  clad  himself  in  a  white  vesture, 
and,  taking  in  his  hand  a  string  of  beads,  walked  alone  without  a  second 
person,  until  he  arrived  at  the  palace  of  Joudar  and  saw  the  slave  sitting. 
And  when  he  saw  him,  he  approached  him  without  weapon,  and  seated 
himself  by  his  side  in  a  polite  manner.  Then  he  said,  Peace  be  on  you  ! 
And  the  slave  replied,  And  on  you  be  peace,  O  human  being!  What  dost 
thou  desire  1  When  the  vizier  therefore  heard  him  say,  O  human  being, 
he  knew  that  he  was  of  the  Genii,  and  he  trembled  by  reason  of  his  fear, 
and  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  is  thy  master  Joudar  here  ?  The  slave  an- 
swered, Yes,  in  the  palace.  And  the  vizier  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  go 
to  him  and  say  to  him,  The  King  Shemseldowla  inviteth  thee,  and  maketh  for 
thee  a  banquet,  and  greeteth  thee  with  peace,  saying  to  thee,  Honor  my 
abode,  and  eat  of  my  banquet.  So  the  slave  replied,  Stay  thou  here  until 
I  consult  him.  Accordingly,  the  vizier  stayed,  in  a  respectful  posture,  and 
the  Marid  went  up  into  the  palace,  and  said  to  Joudar,  Know,  O  my  mas- 
ter, that  the  king  sent  unto  thee  an  emir,  and  I  beat  him  ;  and  there  were 
with  him  fifty  men,  and  I  routed  them.  Then  he  sent  a  hundred  men,  and 
I  beat  them.  Then  he  sent  two  hundred  men,  and  1  routed  them.  Then 
he  sent  unto  thee  the  vizier,  without  weapon,  inviting  thee  to  visit  him  and 
to  eat  of  his  banquet.  What,  then,  sayest  thou  ?  Joudar  replied,  Go,  bring 
the  vizier  hither.  So  he  descended  from  the  palace,  and  said  to  him,  O 
vizier,  answer  the  summons  of  my  master.  And  he  replied,  On  the  head  ! 
He  ascended  and  went  in  to  Joudar,  and  he  saw  him  to  be  greater  than 
the  king,  sitting  upon  furniture  the  like  of  which  the  king  could  not  spread. 
His  mind  was  confounded  by  the  beauty  of  the  palace,  and  by  its  painting 
and  its  furniture,  which  made  the  vizier  seem  in  comparison  with  him  to 
be  a  pauper.  And  he  kissed  the  ground,  and  prayed  for  him  ;  and  Joudar 
said  to  him,  What  is  thy  business,  O  vizier  1  O  my  master,  he  answered, 
the  King  Shemseldowla,  thy  friend,  greeteth  thee  with  peace,  and  is  de- 
sirous of  beholding  thy  face,  and  he  hath  made  for  thee  a  banquet.  Wilt 
thou  then  comfort  his  heart?  Joudar  replied,  Since  he  is  my  friend,  sa- 
lute him,  and  tell  him  to  come  unto  me.  So  the  vizier  said  to  him,  On  the 
head  !  Then  Joudar  took  forth  the  seal-ring  and  rubbed  it,  and  the  serv- 
ant presented  himself;  and  Joudar  said  to  him,  Bring  me  a  dress  of  the 
best  of  apparel.  He  therefore  brought  him  a  dress;  and  Joudar  said,  Put 
on  this,  0  vizier.  And  he  put  it  on.  Joudar  then  said  to  him,  Go ;  ac- 
quaint the  king  with  that  which  I  have  said.  And  he  descended,  wearing 
that  dress,  the  like  of  which  he  had  never  before  worn,  and,  going  in  to  the 
king,  informed  him  of  the  state  of  Joudar,  and  praised  the  palace  with  the 
things  that  it  contained ;  and  he  said,  Joudar  hath  invited  thee. 

Upon  this  the  king  said,  Arise,  O  soldiers  !  So  all  of  them  rose  upon 
their  feet.  And  he  said,  Mount  your  horses,  and  bring  unto  me  my  cours- 
er, that  we  may  go  to  Joudar.  Then  the  king  mounted  and  took  the 
23  1 


THE  STORY  OF  Jol'DAK. 

troops,  and  they  repaired  to  Joudar's  palace.  Now  as  to  Joudar,  he  said 
to  the  Marid,  1  desire  that  thou  bring  us  some  Afrites  of  thy  Ons,  in  the 
form  of  human  beings,  to  be  as  soldier?,  and  to  stand  in  the  court  of  the 
palace,  that  the  king  may  see  them,  and  that  they  may  terrify  him  and  in- 
spire him  with  dread,  so  that  his  heart  may  tremble,  and  he  may  know 
that  my  power  is  greater  than  his.  He  therefore  brought  two  hundred  in 
the  garb  of  soldiers,  equipped  with  magnificent  arms;  and  they  were 
strong  and  bulky.  So  when  the  king  arrived,  he  beheld  the  strong  and 
bulky  troop,  and  his  heart  feared  them.  Then  he  went  up  into  the  palace 
and  entered  into  the  presence  of  .loudar,  whom  he  saw  sitting  in  a  state  in 
which  no  king  nor  sultan  had  sat;  and  he  saluted  him,  and  raised  his  hands 
to  his  head  before  him.  But  Joudar  rose  not  to  him,  nor  paid  him  honor, 
nor  did  he  say  to  him,  Sit:  he  left  him  standing  till  fear  seized  him,  and 
he  became  unable  either  to  sit  or  to  go  forth,  and  began  to  say  within  him- 
self, Were  he  in  fear  of  me,  he  had  not  left  me  unheeded,  and  probably 
he  will  do  me  some  hurt,  on  account  of  that  which  I  did  with  his  brothers. 
Then  Joudar  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  it  is  not  the  proper  business  of  such 
as  you  to  tyrannize  over  men  and  to  take  their  goods.  So  he  replied,  O 
my  master,  blame  me  not;  for  covetousness  constrained  me  to  do  so,  and 
destiny  took  effect;  and  were  it  not  for  offense,  there  were  no  such  thing 
as  forgiveness.  And  he  proceeded  to  excuse  himself  to  him  for  his  for- 
mer conduct,  and  to  seek  of  him  pardon  and  lenity,  to  such  a  degree  that 
among  his  expressions  of  apology  he  recited  to  him  these  verses : 

O  thou  of  noble  ancestors  and  gentle  disposition,  blame  me  not  for  that  which  hath 
proceeded  from  me. 

If  thou  be  an  oppressor,  we  pardon  thee  ;  and  if  I  be  an  oppressor,  thou  wilt  par- 
don me. 

And  he  ceased  not  to  humble  himself  before  him  until  he  said  to  him,  May 
God  pardon  thee  !  and  ordered  him  to  sit.  So  he  sat ;  and  Joudar  invested 
him  with  the  garments  of  mere}7,  and  ordered  his  two  brothers  to  spread 
the  table.  Then,  when  they  had  eaten,  he  clad  the  king's  company,  and 
treated  them  with  honor;  and  after  that  he  ordered  the  king  to  depart. 

He  therefore  went  forth  from  the  abode  of  Joudar;  and  every  day  aft- 
er he  used  to  go  thither,  and  used  not  to  hold  his  court  save  in  Joudar's 
abode.  Their  mutual  familiarity  and  friendship  increased,  and  they  con- 
tinued a  while  in  this  state.  But  after  that,  the  king  had  a  private,  inter- 
view with  his  vizier,  and  said  to  him,  O  vizier,  I  fear  lest.  Joudar  should 
slay  me  and  take  the  kingdom  from  me.  Tho  vizier,  however,  replied,  (J 
king  of  the  age,  as  to  the  act  of  taking  the  kingdom,  fear  it  not:  for  the 
state  which  Joudar  enjoyeth  is  more  exalted  than  the  state  of  the  king, 
and  the  taking  of  the  kingdom  would  be  a  lowering  of  his  dignity  ;  but  if 
thou  fearest  that  he  will  slay  thee,  thou  hast  a  daughter;  so  marry  her  to 
him,  and  thou  and  he  will  be  of  one  condition.  And  he  replied,  O  vizier, 
tliini  shall  be  an  intermediary  between  me  and  him.  The  vizier  therefore 
said  to  him,  Invite  him  to  an  entertainment  in  thy  palace  ;  then  we  will  sit 
up  at  night  in  a  saloon,  and  command  thou  thy  daughter  to  deck  herself  in 
the  most  magnificent  manner,  and  to  pass  by  him  from  the  door  of  the  sa- 
loon ;  for  as  soon  us  he  seeth  her  he  will  be  enamored  of  her;  and  when 
we  perceive  in  him  that  result,  I  will  incline  toward  him  and  inform  him 
that  she  is  thy  daughter,  and  I  will  keep  up  a  conversation  with  him  as 
though  thou  hadst  no  knowledge  of  the  matter,  so  that  he  shall  demand 
her  of  thee  in  marriage.      When  thou  shalt  have  married  to  him  the  dam- 


THE   STORY   OF  JOUDAR 


The  king's  daughter. 


sel,  thou  and  he  will  be  one,  and  thou  wilt  be  secure  from  any  injury  on 
his  part;  and  if  he  die,  thou  wilt  inherit  largely  from  him.  So  the  king 
replied,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth,  O  my  vizier.  And  he  prepared  the  en- 
tertainment and  invited  him.  Joudar  therefore  came  to  the  sultan's  pal- 
ace, and  they  sat  in  the  saloon  in  exceeding  sociableness  until  the  close  of 
the  day.  The  king  had  sent  to  his  wife,  desiring  her  to  deck  the  damsel 
in  the  most  magnificent  manner,  and  to  pass  with  her  by  the  door  of  the 
saloon.  And  she  did  as  he  had  said.  She  passed  by  with  the  damsel,  and 
Joudar  saw  her;  and  she  was  endowed  with  beauty  and  loveliness,  having 
no  equal.  So  when  Joudar  took  an  accurate  view  of  her,  he  said,  Ah ! 
and  his  limbs  became  loosened,  passion  and  desire  became  violent  in  him, 
ecstasy  and  distraction  seized  him,  and  his  complexion  became  sallow. 
The  vizier  therefore  said  to  him,  May  no  harm  befall  thee,  O  my  master ! 
Wherefore  do  I  see  thee  changed  and  in  pain  ?  And  he  said,  O  vizier, 
whose  daughter  is  this  damsel  ?  for  she  hath  captivated  me,  and  deprived 
me  of  my  reason.  So  he  answered,  This  is  the  daughter  of  thy  friend  the 
king;  and  if  she  please  thee,  I  will  speak  with  the  king,  that  he  may  marry 
her  to  thee.  And  Joudar  said,  O  vizier,  speak  to  him,  and  I,  by  my  life, 
will  give  thee  what  thou  shalt  desire,  and  will  give  to  the  king  what  he  shall 
desire  as  her  dowry,  and  we  will  become  friends  and  connections.  The 
vizier  replied,  Thy  desire  must  be  accomplished.  Then  the  vizier  spoke 
to  the  king  privately,  saying  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  Joudar  is  thy  friend, 
and  desireth  affinity  to  thee,  and  he  hath  requested  thee,  by  me,  to  marry 
to  him  thy  daughter,  the  Lady  Asiya :  therefore  disappoint  me  not,  but 
236 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR. 

accept  my  intercession  ;  and  whatever  thou  shalt  demand  as  her  dowry  he 
will  give  thee.  And  the  king  replied,  The  dowry  hath  been  paid  me,  and 
the  damsel  is  a  slave  girl  in  his  service  :  I  will  marry  her  to  him,  and  he 
will  do  a  favor  by  accepting  her. 

They  passed  that  night,  and  the  king  arose  in  the  morning  and  held  a 
court,  at  which  he  caused  the  nobles  and  the  plebeians  to  be  present,  and 
the  Sheikh  el-Islam*  was  there  also.  Then  Joudar  demanded  the  damsel 
in  marriage,  and  the  king  said,  The  dowry  hath  been  paid.  So  they  per- 
formed the  ceremony  of  the  marriage  contract,  and  Joudar  sent  desiring 
that  JtJie  pair  of  saddle-bags  containing  the  jewels  [and  gold]  should  be 
brought,  and  gave  it  to  the  king  as  the  dowry  of  the  damsel.  The  drums 
were  beaten  and  the  pipes  were  sounded,  the  festal  Necklaces  were  strung, 
and  Joudar  took  the  damsel  as  his  wife.  Thus  he  and  the  king  became  as 
one,  and  they  remained  together  for  a  period  of  days.  Then  the  king  died, 
and  the  troops  desired  Joudar  as  sultan,  and  they  ceased  not  to  urge  him, 
while  he  refused  to  comply  with  their  request,  until  at  last  he  consented. 
So  they  made  him  sultan  ;  and  he  gave  orders  to  build  a  congregational 
mosque  over  the  sepulcher  of  the  King  Shemseldowla,  and  endowed  it ; 
and  it  is  in  the  district  of  Bundukanin.  The  house  of  Joudar  was  in  the 
quarter  of  Yemania ;  and  when  he  became  sultan,  he  constructed  build- 
ings and  a  congregational  mosque,  and  the  quarter  hath  been  named  after 
him,  its  name  having  become,  the  quarter  of  Joudaria.  He  continued  as 
king  some  time,  and  made  his  two  brothers  viziers  ;  Salim  the  vizier  of  his 
right  hand,  and  Selim  the  vizier  of  his  left;  and  they  remained  thus  one 
year,  and  no  more. 

After  this  Salim  said  to  Selim,  O  my  brother,  how  long  shall  this  state 
last  ?  Shall  we  pass  our  lives  entirely  as  servants  of  Joudar,  and  shall  we 
not  enjoy  dominion  nor  prosperity  as  long  as  Joudar  is  liviug  ?  And  how 
shall  we  manage  to  kill  him,  said  Selim,  and  to  take  from  him  the  seal-ring 
and  the  pair  of  saddle-bags  ?  Thou  art  more  knowing  than  I :  therefore 
contrive  for  us  a  stratagem  in  order  that  we  may  kill  him  thereby.  Salim 
said,  If  I  contrive  for  thee  a  stratagem  by  which  to  kill  him,  wilt  thou  con- 
sent that  I  shall  be  sultan,  and  that  thou  shalt  be  vizier  of  the  right  hand, 
and  that  the  seal-ring  shall  be  mine  and  the  pair  of  saddle-bags  thine  ? 
Selim  answered,  I  consent.  So  they  agreed  to  kill  Joudar,  on  account  of 
the  love  of  the  world  and  of  dominion.  Then  Selim  and  Salim  contrived 
a  stratagem  against  Joudar,  and  said  to  him,  O  our  brother,  we  desire  that 
we  may  glory  in  thee,  and  that  thou  wouldst  enter  our  houses,  and  eat  of 
our  banquet,  and  comfort  our  heart.  And  they  proceeded  to  beguile  him, 
saying  to  him,  Comfort  our  heart,  and  eat  of  our  banquet.  So  he  replied, 
No  harm.  In  the  house  of  which  of  you  will  be  the  banquet  ?  Salim  an- 
swered, In  my  house  ;  and  alter  thou  shalt  have  eaten  of  my  banquet,  thou 
shalt  eat  of  the  banquet  of  my  brother.  And  he  said,  No  harm  ;  and  went 
with  him  to  his  house.  Then  his  brother  placed  the  food  for  him,  and  put 
into  it  poison  ;  and  when  he  had  eaten,  his  flesh  fell  to  pieces  with  his 
bones.  So  upon  this  Salim  arose  to  take  the  seal-ring  from  his  finger ;  hut 
it  resisted  his  attempt :  therefore  he  cut  off  his  linger  with  a  knife.  He 
then  rubbed  the  ring,  and  the  Marid  presented  himself  to  him,  saying.  At 
thy  service  !  Demand,  then,  what  thou  wilt.  And  he  said  to  him.  Seize 
my  brother,  and  slay  him,  and  take  up  the  two,  the  poisoned  and  the  slain, 

"  The  chief  doctor  of  the  Mohamme  Jan  faith. 

237 


THE  STORY  OF  JOUDAR 


Makad,  or  principal  room. 


and  throw  them  before  the  troops.  Accordingly,  he  took  Selini  and  slew 
him,  and  took  up  the  two,  and,  going  forth  with  them,  cast  them  before 
the  great  officers  of  the  army.  They  were  sitting  at  the  table  in  the  large 
room  of  the  house,  eating;  and  when  they  beheld  Joudar  and  Selim  killed, 
they  raised  their  hands  from  the  food,  and  fear  disturbed  them,  and  they 
said  to  the  Marid,  Who  hath  done  these  deeds  with  the  king  and  the  viz- 
ier ?     So  he  answered  them,  Their  brother  Salim. 

And  lo,  Salim  approached  them,  and  said,  O  soldiers,  eat,  and  enjoy 

yourselves  ;  for  I  have  obtained  possession  of  the  seal-ring  from  my  brother 

Joudar,  and  this  Marid  is  the  servant  of  the  ring;  he  who  is  before  you. 

I  ordered  him  to  slay  my  brother  Selim,  that  he  might  not  contend  with 

•238 


THE  STOJtY  OF  .JuL'DAR. 

me  for  the  kingdom,  because  he  was  treacherous,  and  I  feared  that  he 
would  act  treacherously  toward  me.  Now  this  Joudar  hath  been  put  to 
death,  and  I  have  become  sultan  over  you.  Do  ye  accept  me,  or  shall  I 
rub  the  ring,  and  shall  its  servants  slay  you,  great  and  small?  They  an- 
swered him,  We  accept  thee  as  king  and  sultan.  Then  he  gave  orders  to 
bury  his  two  brothers,  and  held  a  court ;  and  some  of  the  people  attended 
the  funeral,  while  others  walked  before  him  in  the  state  procession.  And 
when  they  came  to  the  court,  he  seated,  himself  upon  the  throne,  and 
they  swore  allegiance  to  him  as  king;  after  which  he  said,  I  desire  to  per- 
forin the  contract  of  my  marriage  to  the  wife  of  my  brother.  They  re- 
plied, When  the  period  of  widowhood  shall  have  expired.  But  he  said  to 
them,  I  know  not  a  period  of  widowhood,  nor  any  thing  else.  By  my  head, 
I  must  take  her  as  my  wife  this  night.  So  they  performed  the  ceremony 
of  the  contract  for  him,  and  sent  and  acquainted  the  wife  of  Joudar,  the 
daughter  of  Shemseldowla;  and  she  replied,  Invite  him  to  come  in.  And 
when  he  came  in  to  her,  she  made  a  show  of  joy  to  him,  receiving  him 
with  expressions  of  welcome.  But  she  put  poison  for  him  in  the  water, 
and  destroyed  him.  Then  she  took  the  seal-ring  and  broke  it,  that  no  one 
might  thereafter  possess  it:  and  she  rent  the  pair  of  saddle-bags;  after 
which  she  eent  and  informed  the  Sheikh  el-Islam,  and  sent  a  message  to 
him  and  the  people,  saying  to  them,  Choose  for  yourselves  a  king  to  be  sul- 
tan over  you. 

This  is  what  hath  come  down  to  us  of  the  story  of  Joudar,  entire  and 
complete. 


•239 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  SEVEN  HUNDRED  AND  THIRTY-EIGHTH 
NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  SEVEN  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY- 
SIXTH. 

THE  STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

There  was,  in  olden  time,  and  in  an  ancient  age  and  period,  in  the  land 
of  the  Persians,  a  king  named  Shahzeman,  and  the  place  of  his  residence 
was  Khorasan.  He  had  a  hundred  concubines  ;  but  he  had  not  been  blessed 
during  his  whole  life  with  a  male  child  by  any  of  them,  nor  a  female ;  and 
he  reflected  upon  this  one  day,  and  lamented  that  the  greater  portion  of 
his  life  had  passed,  and  he  had  not  been  blessed  with  a  male  child  to  in- 
herit the  kingdom  after  him,  as  he  had  inherited  it  from  his  fathers  and 
forefathers.  So  the  utmost  grief  and  violent  vexation  befell  him  on  this 
account. 

Now  while  he  was  sitting  one  day,  one  of  his  mamlouks  came  in  to  him, 
and  said  to  him,  O  my  lord,  at  the  door  is  a  slave  girl  with  a  merchant : 
none  more  beautiful  than  she  hath  been  seen.  And  he  replied,  Bring  to 
me  the  merchant  and  the  slave  girl.  The  merchant  and  the  slave  girl  there- 
fore came  to  him  ;  and  when  he  saw  her,  he  found  her  to  resemble  a  straight 
240 


STORY  OF  GL'LNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

lance.  She  was  wrapped  in  an  izar  of  silk  embroidered  with  gold,  and  flie 
merchant  uncovered  her  face,  whereupon  the  place  was  illuminated  by  her 
beauty,  and  there  hung  down  from  her  forehead  seven  locks  of  hair  reach- 
ing to  her  anklets,  like  the  tails  of  horses.  She  had  eyes  bordered  with 
kohl,  and  heavy  lips,  and  slender  waist:  she  was  such  as  would  cure  the 
malady  of  the  sick,  and  extinguish  the  fire  of  the  thirsty,  and  was  a?  the 
poet  hath  said  in  these  verses  : 

I  am  enamored  of  her :  she  is  perfect  iu  beauty,  and  peifect  also  in  gravity  and  in 

dignity. 
She  is  neither  tall  nor  short ;  but  her  hips  are  such  that  the  izar  is  too  narrow  for 

them. 
Her  stature  is  a  mean  between  the  small  and  the  large  :  so  there  is  neither  ta'lness 

nor  shortness  to  find  fault  with. 
Her  hair  reacheth  to  her  anklets,  [and  is  black  as  night,]  but  her  face  is  ever  like 

the  day. 

The  king,  therefore,  wondered  at  the  sight  of  her,  and  at  her  beauty  and 
loveliness,  and  her  stature  and  justness  of  form  ;  and  he  said  to  the  mer- 
chant, O  sheikh,  for  how  much  is  this  damsel  to  be  sold  ?  The  merchant 
answered,  O  my  lord,  I  purchased  her  for  two  thousand  pieces  of  gold  of 
the  merchant  who  owned  her  before  me,  and  I  have  been  for  three  years 
traveling  with  her,  and  she  hath  cost,  to  the  period  of  her  arrival  at  this 
place,  three  thousand  pieces  of  gold;  and  she  is  a  present  from  me  unto 
thee.  Upon  this  the  king  conferred  upon  him  a  magnificent  robe  of  honor, 
and  gave  orders  to  present  him  with  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  So  he 
took  them,  and  kissed  the  hands  of  the.  king,  thanking  him  for  his  bounty 
and  beneficence,  and  departed-  Then  the  king  committed  the  damsel  to  the 
tire-women,  saying  to  them,  Amend  the  state  of  this  damsel,  and  deck  her, 
and  furnish  for  her  a  private  chamber,  and  take  her  into  it.  He  also  gave 
orders  to  his  chamberlains  that  every  thing  which  she  required  should  be 
conveyed  to  her.  The  seat  of  government  where  he  resided  was  on  the 
shore  of  the  sea,  and  his  city  was  called  the  White  City.  And  they  con- 
ducted the  damsel  into  a  private  chamber,  which  chamber  had  windows 
overlooking  the  sea ;  and  the  king  commanded  his  chamberlains  to  close  all 
the  doors  upon  her  after  taking  to  her  all  that  she  required. 

The  king  then  went  in  to  visit  the  damsel ;  but  she  rose  not  to  him,  nor 
took  any  notice  of  him.  So  the  king  said,  It  seemeth  that  she  hath  been  with 
people  who  have  not  taught  her  good  manners.  And  looking  at  the  dam- 
sel, he  saw  her  to  be  a  person  surpassing  in  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  in 
stature  and  justness  of  form  ;  her  face  was  like  the  disk  of  the  moon  at  the 
full,  or  the  shining  sun  in  the  clear  sky;  and  he  wondered  at  her  beauty 
and  loveliness,  and  stature  and  justness  of  form,  extolling  the  perfection  of 
God,  the  Creator:  lauded  be  his  power!  Then  the  king  advanced  to  the 
damsel,  and  seated  himself  by  her  side,  pressed  her  to  his  bosom,  and  seat- 
ed her  upon  his  thigh  ;  and  he  kissed  her  lips,  which  he  found  to  be  sweeter 
than  honey.  After  this  he  gave  orders  to  bring  tables  of  the  richest  viands, 
comprising  dishes  of  every  kind  ;  and  the  king  ate,  and  put  morsels  into 
her  mouth  until  she  was  satisfied  ;  but  she  spoke  not  a  single  word.  The 
king  talked  to  her,  and  inquired  of  her  her  name;  but  she  was  silent,  not 
Uttering  a  word  nor  returning  him  an  answer,  ceasing  not  to  hang  down  her 
head  toward  the  ground;  and  what  protected  her  from  the  anger  of  the 
king  was  the  excess  of  her  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  her  tenderness  of 

\'ol.  II.— I.,  241 


STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

manner.  So  the  king  said  within  himself,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of 
jod,  the  Creator  of  this  damsel !  How  elegant  is  she,  saving  that  she  doth 
not  speak !  But  perfection  belongeth  unto  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  ! 
Then  the  king  asked  the  female  slaves  whether  she  had  spoken  ;  and  they 
answered  him,  From  the  time  of  her  arrival  to  the  present  moment  she 
hnth  not  spoken  one  word,  and  we  have  not  heard  her  talk.  The  king 
therefore  caused  some  of  the  female  slaves  and  concubines  to  come,  and 
ordered  them  to  sing  to  her,  and  to  make  merry  with  her,  thinking  that 
then  she  might  perhaps  speak.  Accordingly,  the  female  slaves  and  concu- 
bines played  before  her  with  all  kinds  of  musical  instruments,  and  sports, 


Persian  harps. 


and  other  performances,  and  they  sang  so  that  every  one  who  was  present 
was  moved  with  delight,  except  the  damsel,  who  looked  at  them  and  was 
silent,  neither  laughing  nor  speaking.  So  the  heart  of  the  king  was  con- 
tracted. He,  however,  inclined  to  her  entirely,  paying  no  regard  to  others, 
but  relinquishing  all  the  rest  of  his  concubines  and  favorites. 

He  remained  with  her  a  whole  year,  which  seemed  as  one  day,  and  still 
she  spoke  not ;  and  he  said  to  her  one  day,  when  his  love  of  her  and  his 
passion  were  excessive,  O  desire  of  souls,  verily  the  love  that  I  have  for 
thee  is  great,  and  I  have  relinquished  for  thy  sake  all  my  female  slaves,  and 
the  concubines,  and  the  women,  and  the  favorites,  and  made  thee  my 
worldly  portion,  and  been  patient  with  thee  a  whole  year.  I  beg  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted !)  that  He  will,  in  his  grace,  soften  thy  heart  to- 
ward me,  and  that  thou  mayest  speak  to  me.  Or,  if  thou  be  dumb,  ac- 
quaint me  by  a  sign,  that  I  may  give  up  hope  of  thy  speaking.  I  also  beg 
of  God  (whose  perfection  be  extolled  !)  that  He  will  bless  me  by  thee  with 
a  male  child  that  may  inherit  my  kingdom  after  me ;  for  I  am  single  and 
solitary,  having  none  to  be  my  heir,  and  my  age  hath  become  great.  I  con- 
jure thee  then  by  Allah,  if  thou  love  me,  that  thou  return  me  a  reply. 
And  upon  this  the  damsel  hung  down  her  head  toward  the  ground,  med- 
itating. Then  she  raised  her  head,  and  smiled  in  the  face  of  the  king, 
whereat  it  appeared  to  the  king  that  lightning  filled  the  private  chamber; 
and  she  said,  O  magnanimous  king  and  bold  lion,  God  hath  answered  thy 
prayer ;  for  I  am  about  to  bear  thee  issue,  and  the  time  is  [almost]  come. 
But  I  know  not  whether  the  child  is  male  or  female.  And  were  it  not  for 
my  being  in  this  state,  I  had  not  spoken  to  thee  one  word.  And  when  the 
king  heard  what  she  said,  his  face  brightened  up  with  joy  and  happiness, 
and  he  kissed  her  head  and  her  hands  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  his  joy, 
and  said.  Praise  be  to  God  who  hath  favored  me  with  things  that  I  desired; 
242 


STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

the  first,  thy  speaking;  and  the  second,  thy  information  that  thou  art  about 
to  bear  me  issue.  Then  the  king  arose  and  went  forth  from  her,  and  seat- 
ed himself  upon  the  throne  of  his  kingdom  in  a  state  of  exceeding  happi- 
ness ;  and  he  ordered  the  vizier  to  give  out  to  the  poor,  and  the  needy,  and 
the  widows,  and  others  a  hundred  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  as  a  thank-offer- 
ing to  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  and  an  alms  on  his  part.  So  the 
vizier  did  as  the  king  had  commanded  him.  And  after  that  the  king  went 
in  to  the  damsel,  and  sat  with  her,  and  embraced  her,  and  pressed  her  to 
his  bosom,  saying  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  who  ownest  me  as  thy  slave, 
wherefore  hath  been  this  silence,  seeing  that  thou  hast  been  witli  me  a 
whole  year,  night  and  day,  awake  and  asleep,  yet  hast  not  spoken  to  me 
during  this  year  except  on  this  day  ?  What,  then,  hath  been  the  cause  of 
thy  silence  ? 

The  damsel  answered,  Hear,  O  king  of  the  age,  and  know  that  I  am  a 
poor  person,  a  stranger,  broken-hearted  :  I  have  become  separated  from 
my  mother,  and  my  family,  and  my  brother.  And  when  the  king  beard  her 
words,  he  knew  her  desire,  and  he  replied,  As  to  thy  saying  that  thou  art 
poor,  there  is  no  occasion  for  such  an  assertion  ;  for  all  my  kingdom  and 
my  goods  and  possessions  are  at  thy  service,  and  I  also  have  become  thy 
mamlouk  :  and  as  to  thy  saying,  I  have  become  separated  from  my  mother, 
and  my  family,  and  my  brother,  inform  me  in  what  place  they  are,  and  I 
will  send  to  them  and  bring  them  to  thee.  So  she  said  to  him,  Know,  O 
fortunate  king,  that  my  name  is  Gulnare  of  the  Sea.  My  father  was  one 
of  the  kings  of  the  sea,  and  he  died,  and  left  to  us  the  kingdom ;  but  while 
we  were  enjoying  it,  one  of  the  kings  came  upon  us,  and  took  the  king- 
dom from  our  hands.  I  have  also  a  brother  named  Saleh,  and  my  mother 
is  of  the  women  of  the  sea;  and  I  quarreled  with  my  brother,  and  swore 
that  I  would  throw  myself  into  the  hands  of  a  man  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  land.  Accordingly.  I  came  forth  from  the  sea,  and  sat  upon  the  shore 
of  an  island  in  the  moonlight,  and  there  passed  by  me  a  man  who  took  me 


Gulnare  on  the  sea-shore. 

243 


STORY  OF  GDLNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

and  conducted  me  to  his  abode,  and  desired  to  make  me  his  concubine  ;  but 
I  smote  him  upon  his  head,  and  he  almost  died  ;  wherefore  he  went  forth 
and  sold  me  to  this  man  from  whom  thou  tookest  me,  and  he  was  an  excel- 
lent, virtuous  man,  a  person  of  religion,  and  fidelity,  and  kindness.  But  had 
not  thy  heart  loved  me,  and  hadst  thou  not  preferred  me  above  all  thy  con- 
cubines, I  had  not  remained  with  thee  one  hour;  fori  should  have  cast  my- 
self into  the  sea  from  this  window,  and  gone  to  my  mother  and  my  peo- 
ple. I  was  ashamed,  however,  to  go  to  them  in  the  state  in  which  I  am ; 
for  they  would  imagine  evil  of  me,  and  would  not  believe  me,  even  though 
I  should  swear  to  them,  wheu  I  told  them  that  a  king  had  purchased  me 
with  his  money,  and  had  made  me  his  worldly  portion,  and  chosen  me  in 
preference  to  his  wives  and  all  that  his  right  hand  possessed.  This  is  my 
story,  and  peace  be  on  thee  !  And  when  he  heard  her  words,  he  thanked 
her,  and  kissed  her  between  her  eyes,  and  said  to  her,  By  Allah,  O  my 
mistress,  and  light  of  my  eyes,  I  can  not  endure  thy  separation  for  one 
hour  ;  and  if  thou  quit  me,  I  shall  die  instantly.  How,  then,  shall  the  affair 
be  ?  She  answered,  O  my  master,  the  time  of  the  birth  is  near,  and  my 
family  must  come.  And  how,  said  the  king,  do  they  walk  in  the  sea  with- 
out being  wetted  ?  She  answered,  We  walk  in  the  sea  as  ye  walk  upon 
the  land,  through  the  influence  of  the  names  engraved  upon  the  seal  of 
Solomon  the  son  of  David,  upon  both  of  whom  be  peace  !  But,  O  king, 
when  my  family  and  my  brethren  come,  I  will  inform  them  that  thou 
boughtest  me  with  thy  money,  and  hast  treated  me  with  kindness  and  be- 
neficence, and  it  will  be  meet  that  thou  confirm  my  assertion  to  them. 
They  will  also  see  thy  state  with  their  eyes,  and  will  know  that  thou  art  a 
king,  the  son  of  a  king.  And  thereupon  the  king  said,  O  my  mistress,  do 
what  seemeth  fit  to  thee,  and  what  thou  wishest;  for  I  will  comply  with 
thy  desire  in  all  that  thou  wilt  do.  And  the  damsel  said,  Know,  O  king  of 
the  age,  that  we  walk  in  the  sea  with  our  eyes  open,  and  see  what  is  in  it, 
and  we  see  the  sun,  and  the  moon,  and  the  stars,  and  the  sky  as  on  the 
face  of  the  earth,  and  this  hurteth  us  not.  Know,  also,  that  in  the  sea  are 
many  peoples,  and  various  forms  of  all  the  kinds  that  are  on  the  land  ;  and 
know,  moreover,  that  all  that  is  on  the  land,  in  comparison  with  what  is  in 
the  sea,  is  a  very  small  matter.     And  the  king  wondered  at  her  words. 

Then  the  damsel  took  forth  from  her  shoulders  two  pieces  of  Kamari 
aloes-wood,  and  took  a  bit  of  them,  and,  having  lighted  a  fire  in  a  perfum- 
ing-vessel,  threw  into  it  that  bit,  and  she  uttered  a  loud  whistle,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  speak  words  which  no  one  understood  ;  whereupon  a  great  smoke 
arose,  while  the  king  looked  on.  After  this  she  said  to  the  king,  O  my  lord, 
arise  and  conceal  thyself  in  a  closet,  that  I  may  show  thee  my  brother,  and 
my  mother,  and  my  family,  without  their  seeing  thee ;  fori  desire  to  bring 
them,  and  thou  shalt  see  in  this  place,  at  this  time,  a  wonder,  and  shalt 
wonder  at  the  various  shapes  and  strange  forms  that  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted!)  hath  created.  So  the  king  arose  immediately,  and  entered  a 
closet,  and  looked  to  see  what  she  would  do.  And  she  proceeded  to  burn 
perfume  and  repeat  spells  until  the  sea  foamed  and  was  agitated,  and  there 
came  forth  from  it  a  young  man  of  comely  form,  of  beautiful  countenance, 
like  the  moon  at  the  full,  with  shining  forehead,  and  red  cheek,  and  hair 
resembling  pearls  and  jewels;  he  was,  of  all  the  creation,  the  most  like  to 
his  sister,  and  the  tongue  of  the  case  itself  seemed  to  recite  in  his  praise 
these  verses  : 
244 


STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

The  moon  becometh  perfect  once  in  each  month ;  but  the  loveliness  of  thy  face  is 

perfect  every  day. 
Its  abode  is  iu  the  heart  of  one  sign  at  a  time ;  but  thine  abode  is  in  all  hearts  at  once. 


I'J'illl'JII 


Gulnarc's  relations  coming  forth  from  the  sea. 


Afterward,  there  came  forth  from  the  sea,  a  griz- 
zly-haired old  woman,  and  with  her  five  damsels, 
resembling  moons,  and   bearing  a  likeness  to  the    ™ 


245 


STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

damsel,  whose  name  was  Gulnare.  Then  the  king  saw  the  young  man,  and 
the  old  woman,  and  the  damsels  walk  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  until 
they  came  to  the  damsel  Gulnare  ;  and  when  they  drew  near  to  the  win- 
dow, and  Gulnare  beheld  them,  she  rose  to  them  and  met  them  with  joy 
and  happiness.  On  their  seeing  her,  they  knew  her,  and  they  went  in  to 
her  and  embraced  her,  weeping  violently  •,  and  they  said  to  her,  O  Gul- 
nare, how  is  it  that  thou  leavest  us  for  four  years,  and  we  know  not  the 
place  in  which  thou  art  ?  By  Allah,  the  world  was  contracted  unto  us,  by 
reason  of  the  distress  occasioned  by  thy  separation,  and  we  had  no  delight 
IB  food  nor  in  drink  a  single  day,  weeping  night  and  day  on  account  of  the 
excess  of  our  longing  to  see  thee.  Then  the  damsel  began  to  kiss  the  hand 
of  the  young  man  her  brother,  and  the  hand  of  her  mother,  and  so  also  the 
hands  of  the  daughters  of  her  uncle,  and  they  sat  with  her  a  while,  asking 
her  respecting  her  state,  and  the  things  that  had  happened  to  her,  and  her 
present  condition. 

So  she  said  to  them,  Know  ye,  that  when  1  quitted  you,  and  came  forth 
from  the  sea,  I  sat  upon  the  shore  of  an  island,  and  a  man  took  me  and  sold 
me  to  a  merchant,  and  the  merchant  brought  me  to  this  city  and  sold  me 
to  its  king  for  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  Then  he  treated  me  with  at- 
tention, and  forsook  all  his  concubines,  and  his  women,  and  his  favorites  for 
my  sake,  and  was  diverted  by  his  regard  for  me  from  every  thing  that  he 
possessed  and  what  was  in  his  city.  And  when  her  brother  heard  her 
words,  he  said,  Praise  be  to  God  who  hath  reunited  us  with  thee !  But 
it  is  my  desire,  O  my  sister,  that  thou  wouldst  arise  and  go  with  us  to  our 
country  and  our  family.  So  when  the  king  heard  the  words  of  her  brother, 
his  reason  fled  in  consequence  of  his  fear  lest  the  damsel  should  accept  the 
proposal  of  her  brother,  and  he  could  not  prevent  her,  though  he  was  in- 
flamed with  love  of  her ;  wherefore  he  became  perplexed,  in  violent  fear 
of  her  separation.  But  as  to  the  damsel  Gulnare,  on  hearing  the  words  of 
her  brother,  she  said,  By  Allah,  O  my  brother,  the  man  who  purchased 
me  is  the  king  of  this  city,  and  he  is  a  great  king,  and  a  man  of  wisdom, 
generous,  of  the  utmost  liberality.  He  hath  treated  me  with  honor,  and 
he  is  a  person  of  kindness,  and  of  great  wealth,  but  hath  no  male  child  nor 
a  female.  He  hath  shown  favor  to  me,  and  acted  well  to  me  in  every  re- 
spect; and  from  the  day  when  I  came  to  him  to  the  present  time  I  have 
not  heard  from  him  a  bad  word  to  grieve  my  heart;  but  he  hath  not  ceased 
to  treat  me  with  courtesy,  and  hath  done  nothing  without  consulting  me, 
and  I  am  living  with  him  in  the  best  of  states,  and  the  most  perfect  of  en- 
joyments. Moreover,  if  I  quitted  him  he  would  perish ;  for  he  can  never 
endure  my  separation  even  for  a  single  hour.  I  also,  if  I  quitted  him, 
should  die,  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  my  love  for  him  in  consequence  of 
the  excess  of  his  kindness  to  me  during  the  period  of  my  residence  with 
him  ;  for  if  my  father  were  living,  my  condition  with  him  would  not  be  like 
my  condition  with  this  great,  glorious  king.  Ye  have  seen,  too,  that  I  am 
about  to  bear  him  issue ;  and  praise  be  to  God  who  hath  made  me  to  be  a 
daughter  of  a  king  of  the  sea,  and  my  husband  the  greatest  of  the  kings  of 
the  land.  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  afflicted  me  not,  but  compensa- 
ted me  well;  and  as  the  king  hath  not  a  male  child  nor  a  female,  I  beg  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  to  bless  me  with  a  male  child  that  may  inherit 
of  this  great  king  these  buildings,  and  palaces,  and  possessions  of  which 
God  hath  made  him  owner.  And  when  her  brother  and  the  daugh- 
246 


8T0R¥  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

ters  of  her  uncle  heard  her  words,  their  eyes  became  cheerful  thereat, 
and  they  said  to  her,  O  Gulnare,  thou  knowest  the  place  which  thou  hast 
in  our  estimation,  and  art  acquainted  with  our  affection  for  thee,  and  thou 
art  assured  that  thou  art  the  dearest  of  all  persons  to  us,  and  art  certain 
that  we  desire  for  thee  comfort,  without  trouble  or  toil.  Therefore  if  thou 
be  not  in  a  state  of  comfort,  arise  and  accompany  us  to  our  country  and  our 
family ;  but  if  thou  be  comfortable  here,  in  honor  and  happiness,  this  is  our 
desire  and  wish  ;  for  we  desire  not  aught  save  thy  comfort  in  every  respect. 
And  Gulnare  replied,  By  Allah,  I  am  in  a  state  of  the  utmost  comfort  and 
enjoyment,  in  honor  and  desirable  happiness.  So  when  the  king  heard 
these  words  from  her  he  rejoiced,  and  his  heart  became  tranquilized,  and 
he  thanked  her  for  them  :  his  love  for  her  increased,  and  penetrated  to  his 
heart's  core,  and  he  knew  that  she  loved  him  as  he  loved  her,  and  that  she 
desired  to  remain  with  him  to  see  his  child  which  she  was  to  bear  him. 

Then  the  damsel  Gulnare  of  the  Sea  gave  orders  to  the  female  slaves  to 
bring  forward  the  tables  and  the  viands  of  all  kinds;  and  Gulnare  herself 
was  the  person  who  superintended  the  preparation  of  the  viands  in  the 
kitchen.  So  the  female  slaves  brought  to  them  the  viands,  and  the  sweet- 
meats, and  the  fruits;  and  she  ate  with  her  family.  But  afterward  they 
said  to  her,  O  Gulnare,  thy  master  is  a  man  who  is  a  stranger  to  us,  and 
we  have  entered  his  abode  without  his  permission  and  without  his  knowl- 
edge of  us,  and  thou  praisest  to  us  his  excellence,  and  hast  also  brought  to 
us  his  food,  and  we  have  eaten,  but  have  not  had  an  interview  with  him, 
nor  seen  him,  nor  hath  he  seen  us,  nor  come  into  our  presence,  nor  eaten 
with  us,  that  the  bond  of  bread  and  salt  might  be  established  between  us. 
And  they  all  desisted  from  eating,  and  were  enraged  at  her,  and  tire  began 
to  issue  from  their  mouths  as  from  cressets.  So  when  the  king  beheld 
this,  his  reason  fled,  in  consequence  of  the  violence  of  his  fear  of  them. 
Then  Gulnare  rose  to  them  and  soothed  their  hearts;  after  which  she 
walked  along  until  she  entered  the  closet  in  which  was  the  king  her  mas- 
ter; and  she  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  didst  thou  see  and  didst  thou  hear 
my  thanks  to  thee,  and  my  praise  of  thee  in  the  presence  of  my  family  ; 
and  didst  thou  hear  what  they  said  to  me,  that  they  desired  to  take  me 
with  them  to  our  family  and  our  country  ?  The  king  answered  her,  I 
heard  and  saw.  May  God  recompense  thee  for  us  well !  By  Allah,  I 
knew  not  the  extent  of  the  love  that  thou  feelest  for  me  until  this  blesscJ 
hour,  and  I  doubt  not  of  thy  love  for  me.  She  replied,  O  my  master,  is 
the  recompense  of  beneficence  aught  but  beneficence  ?  Thou  hast  treated 
me  with  beneficence,  and  bestowed  upon  me  great  favors,  and  I  see  that 
thou  lovest  me  with  the  utmost  love,  and  thou  hast  shown  me  every  kind- 
ness, and  preferred  me  above  all  whom  thou  lovest  and  desirest.  How,  then, 
could  my  heart  be  happy  to  quit  thee,  and  to  depart  from  thee;  and  how 
could  that  be  when  thou  bestowest  benefits  and  favors  upon  me  ?  Now  I 
desire  of  thy  goodness  that  thou  come  and  salute  my  family,  and  see  them, 
and  that  they  may  see  thee,  and  that  pleasure  and  mutual  friendship  may 
ensue.  But  know,  O  king  of  the  age,  that  my  brother,  and  my  mother, 
and  the  daughters  of  my  uncle  have  conceived  a  great  love  for  thee  in  con- 
sequence of  my  praising  thee  to  them,  and  they  have  said,  We  will  not  de- 
part from  thee  to  our  country  until  we  have  an  interview  with  the  king 
and  sakite  him.  So  they  desire  to  behold  thee,  and  to  become  familiar 
with  thee.     And  the  king  said  to  her,  I  hear  and  obey;  for  this  is  what  I 

247 


STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

desire.  He  then  rose  from  his  place  and  went  to  them,  and  saluted  them 
with  the  best  salutation  ;  and  they  hastened  to  rise  to  him  ;  they  met  him 
in  the  most  polite  manner,  and  he  sat  with  them  in  the  pavilion,  ate  with 
them  at  the  table,  and  remained  with  them  for  a  period  of  thirty  days. 
Then  they  desired  to  return  to  their  country  and  abode.  So  they  took 
leave  of  the  king,  and  the  Queen  Gulnare  of  the  Sea,  and  departed  from 
them,  after  the  king  had  treated  them  with  the  utmost  honor. 

After  this  Gulnare  fulfilled  her  period,  and  she  gave  birth  to  a  boy  re- 
sembling the  moon  at  the  full,  whereat  the  king  experienced  the  utmost 
happiness,  because  he  had  not  before  been  blessed  with  a  son  or  a  daugh- 
ter during  his  life.  They  continued  the  rejoicings,  and  the  decoration  [of 
the  city],  for  a  period  of  seven  days,  in  the  utmost  happiness  and  enjoy- 
ment; and  on  the  seventh  day  the  mother  of  the  Queen  Gulnare,  and  her 
brother,  and  the  daughters  of  her  uncle,  all  came,  when  they  knew  that 
Gulnare  had  given  birth  to  her  child.  The  king  met  them,  rejoicing  at 
their  arrival,  and  said  to  them,  I  said  that  I  would 'not  name  my  son  until 
ye  should  come,  and  that  ye  should  name  him  according  to  your  knowledge. 
And  they  named  him  Beder  Basim  ;  all  of  them  agreeing  as  to  this  name. 
They  then  presented  the  boy  to  his  maternal  uncle,  Saleh,  who  took  him 
upon  his  hands,  and,  rising  with  him  from  among  them,  walked  about  the 
palace  to  the  right  and  left ;  after  which  lie  went  forth  with  him  from  the 
palace,  descended  with  him  to  the  sea,  and  walked  on  until  he  became  con- 
cealed from  the  eye  of  the  king.  So  when  the  king  saw  that  he  had  taken 
his  son,  and  disappeared  from  him  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  he  despaired 
of  him,  and  began  to  weep  and  wail.  But  Gulnare,  seeing  him  in  this 
state,  said  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  fear  not,  nor  grieve  for  thy  son;  for 
I  love  my  child  more  than  thou,  and  my  child  is  with  my  brother;  there- 
fore care  not  for  the  sea,  nor  fear  his  being  drowned.  If  my  brother  knew 
that  any  injury  would  betide  the  little  one,  he  had  not  done  what  he  hath 
done ;  and  presently  he  will  bring  thee  thy  son  safe,  if  it  be  the  will  of 
God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  And  but  a  short  time  had  elapsed  when  the 
sea  was  agitated  and  disturbed,  and  the  uncle  of  the  little  one  came  forth 
from  it,  having  with  him  the  king's  son  safe,  and  he  flew  from  the  sea  until 
he  came  to  them,  with  the  little  one  in  his  arms,  silent,  and  his  face  re- 
sembling the  moon  in  the  night  of  its  fullness.  Then  the  uncle  of  the  lit- 
tle one  looked  toward  the  king,  and  said  to  him,  Perhaps  thou  fearedst  some 
injury  to  thy  son  when  I  descended  into  the  sea,  having  him  with  me.  So 
he  replied,  Yes,  O  my  master,  I  feared  for  him,  and  I  did  not  imagine  that 
he  would  ever  come  forth  from  it  safe.  And  Saleh  said  to  him,  O  king  of 
the  land,  we  applied  to  his  eyes  a  collyrium  that  we  know,  and  repeated 
over  him  the  names  engraved  upon  the  seal  of  Solomon  the  son  of  David 
(on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !) ;  for  when  a  child  is  born  among  us,  we  do 
to  him  as  I  have  told  thee.  Fear  not,  therefore,  on  his  account,  drowning, 
nor  suffocation,  nor  all  the  seas  if  he  descend  into  them.  Like  as  ye  walk 
upon  the  land,  we  walk  in  the  sea. 

He  then  took  forth  from  his  pocket  a  case,  written  upon,  and  sealed  ; 
and  he  broke  its  seal,  and  scattered  its  contents,  whereupon  there  fell  from 
it  strung  jewels,  consisting  of  all  kinds  of  jacinths  and  other  gems,  together 
with  three  hundred  oblong  emeralds,  and  three  hundred  oblong  large  jew- 
els, of  the  size  of  the  eggs  of  the  ostrich,  the  light  of  which  was  more  re- 
splendent than  the  light  of  the  sun  and  the  moon.  And  he  said,  O  king  of 
248 


STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

the  age,  these  jewels  and  jacinths  are  a  present  from  me  unto  thee  ;  for 
we  never  brought  thee  a  present,  because  Ave  knew  not  the  place  of  Gul- 
nare's  abode,  nor  were  acquainted  with  any  trace  or  tidings  of  her.  So 
when  we  saw  thee  to  have  become  united  to  her,  and  that  we  all  had  be- 
come one,  we  brought  thee  this  present ;  and  after  every  period  of  a  few 
days  we  will  bring  thee  the  like  of  it,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name 
be  exalted  !  For  these  jewels  and  jacinths  with  us  are  more  plentiful  than 
the  grave]  upon  the  land,  and  we  know  the  excellent  among  them,  and  the 
bad,  and  all  the  ways  to  them,  and  the  places  where  they  are  found,  and 
they  are  easy  of  access  to  us.  And  when  the  king  looked  at  those  jewels 
and  jacinths,  his  reason  was  confounded  and  his  mind  was  bewildered,  and 
he  said,  By  Allah  one  of  these  jewels  is  worth  my  kingdom  !  Then  the 
king  thanked  Saleh  of  the  Sea  for  his  generosity,  and,  looking  toward  the 
Queen  Guluare,  he  said  to  her,  I  am  abashed  at  thy  brother;  for  ho  hath 
shown  favor  to  me  and  presented  me  with  this  magnificent  present,  which 
the  people  of  the  earth  would  fail  to  procure.  So  Gulnare  thanked  her 
brother  for  that  which  he  had  done ;  but  her  brother  said,  O  king  of  the 
age,  thou  hadst  a  prior  claim  upon  us,  and  to  thank  thee  hath  been  incum- 
bent on  us;  for  thou  hast  treated  my  sister  with  beneficence,  and  we  have 
entered  thine  abode  and  eaten  of  thy  provision  ;  and  the  poet  hath  said, 

Had  I  wept  before  she  did,  iu  my  passion  for  Soada,  I  had  healed  my  soul  before 

repentance  came. 
But  she  wept  before  /did;  her  tears  drew  mine;  and  I  said,  The  merit  belongs  to 

the  precedent. 

Then  Saleh  said,  If  we  stood  serving  thee,  O  king  of  the  age,  a  thousand 
years,  regarding  nothing  else,  we  could  not  requite  thee,  and  our  doing  so 
would  be  but  a  small  thing  in  comparison  with  thy  desert.  The  king  there- 
fore thanked  him  eloquently.  And  Saleh  remained  with  the  king,  he  and 
his  mother,  and  the  daughters  of  his  uncle,  forty  days  ;  after  which  he 
arose  and  kissed  the  ground  before  the  king,  the  husband  of  his  sister.  So 
the  king  said  to  him,  What  dost  thou  desire,  O  Saleh  ?  And  he  answered, 
O  king  of  the  age,  thou  hast,  conferred  favors  upon  us,  and  we  desire  of 
thy  goodness  that  thou  wouldst  grant  us  a  boon,  and  give  us  permission  to 
depart;  for  we  have  become  desirous  of  seeing  again  our  family,  and  our 
country,  and  our  relations,  and  our  homes.  We  will  not,  however,  relin- 
quish the  service  of  thee,  nor  my  sister,  nor  the  son  of  my  sister;  and  by 
Allah,  O  king  of  the  age,  to  quit  you  is  not  pleasant  to  my  heart;  but  how 
can  we  act,  when  we  have  been  reared  iu  the  sea,  and  the  land  is  not 
agreeable  to  us  ?  So  when  the  king  heard  his  words  he  rose  upon  his 
feet,  and  bade  farewell  to  Saleh  of  the  Sea,  and  his  mother,  and  the  daugh- 
ters of  his  uncle,  and  they  wept  together  on  account  of  the  separation. 
Then  they  said  to  the  king,  In  a  short  time  we  shall  be  with  you,  and  we 
will  never  relinquish  you,  but  after  every  period  of  a  few  days  we  will  visit 
you.  And  after  this  they  dew  toward  the  sea,  and  descended  into  it,  tind 
disappeared. 

The  king  treated  Gulnare  with  beneficence,  and  honored  her  exceedingly, 
and  the  little  one  grew  up  well;  and  his  maternal  uncle,  with  his  grand- 
mother, and  the  daughters  of  his  uncle,  after  every  period  of  a  few  days 
used  to  come  to  the  residence  of  the  king  and  to  remain  with  him  a  mouth, 
and  two  months,  and  then  return  to  their  places.  The  boy  ceased  not, 
with  incroase  of  age,  to  increase  in  beauty  and  loveliness  until  his  age  be- 
L*  049 


STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 


Gulnare's  relations  flying'  back  into  the  sea. 

came  fifteen  years;  and  he  was  incomparable  in  his  perfect  beauty,  and  his 
stature,  and  his  justness  of  form.  He  had  learned  writing,  and  reading,  and 
history,  and  grammar,  and  philology,  and  archery ;  and  he  learned  to  play 
with  the  spear ;  and  he  also  learned  horsemanship,  and  all  that  the  sons  of 
the  kings  required.  There  was  not  one  of  the  children  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city,  men  and  women,  that  talked  not  of  the  charms  of  that  young 
man ;  for  he  was  of  surpassing  loveliness  and  perfection  ;  and  the  king 
loved  him  greatly.  Then  the  king  summoned  the  viziers  and  the  emirs, 
and  the  lords  of  the  empire  and  the  great  men  of  the  kingdom,  and  made 
them  swear  by  binding  oaths  that  they  would  make  Beder  Basim  king  over 
them  after  his  father ;  so  they  swore  to  him  by  binding  oaths,  and  rejoiced 
thereat ;  and  the  king  himself  was  beneficent  to  the  people,  courteous  in 
speech,  of  auspicious  aspect,  saying  nothing  but  what  was  for  the  good  of 
the  people.  And  on  the  following  day  the  king  mounted,  together  with 
the  lords  of  the  empire  and  all  the  emirs,  and  all  the  soldiers  walked  with 
him  through  the  city  and  returned  ;  and  when  they  drew  near  to  the  pal- 
ace, the  king  dismounted  to  wait  upon  his  son,  and  he,  and  all  the  emirs, 
and  the  lords  of  the  empire  bore  the  ghashiyeh*  before  him.  Each  one  of 
the  emirs  and  the  lords  of  the  empire  bore  the  ghashiyeh  a  while  ;  and 
they  ceased  not  to  proceed  until  they  arrived  at  the  vestibule  of  the  pal- 
ace ;  the  king's  son  riding.     Thereupon  he  alighted,  and  his  father  em- 


250 


An  embroidered  saddle-cover,  bome  before  a  king. 


STORY  OF  GULNARE  OF  THE  SEA. 

braced  him,  he  and  the  emirs,  and  they  seated  him  upon  the  throne  of  the 
kingdom,  while  his  father  stood,  as  also  did  the  emirs,  before  him.  Then 
Beder  Basim  judged  the  people,  displaced  the  tyrannical  and  invested  the 
just,  and  continued  to  give  judgment  until  near  mid-day,  when  he  rose  from 
the  throne  of  the  kingdom  and  went  in  to  his  mother  Gulnare  of  the  Sea, 
having  upon  his  head  the  crown,  and  resembling  the  moon.  So  when  his 
mother  saw  him,  and  the  king  before  him,  she  rose  to  him  and  kissed  him, 
and  congratulated  him  on  his  elevation  to  the  dignity  of  sultan ;  and  she 
offered  up  a  prayer  in  favor  of  him  and  his  father  for  length  of  life,  and  vic- 
tory over  their  enemies.  He  then  sat  with  his  mother  and  rested  ;  and 
when  the  time  of  afternoon  prayers  arrived,  he  rode  with  the  emirs  before 
him  until  he  came  to  the  horse-course,  where  he  played  with  arms  till  the 
time  of  nightfall,  together  with  his  father  and  the  lords  of  his  empire  ;  after 
which  he  returned  to  the  palace,  with  all  the  people  before  him.  Every 
day  he  used  to  ride  to  the  horse-course  ;  and  when  he  returned  he  sat  to 
judge  the  people,  and  administered  justice  between  the  emir  and  the  poor 
man.  He  ceased  not  to  do  thus  for  a  whole  year  ;  and  after  that  he  used 
to  ride  to  the  chase,  and  to  go  about  through  the  cities  and  provinces  that 
were  under  his  rule,  making  proclamation  of  safety  and  security,  and  doing 
as  do  the  kings ;  and  he  was  incomparable  among  the  people  of  his  age  in 
glory,  and  courage,  and  in  justice  to  the  people. 

Now  it  came  to  pass  that  the  old  king,  the  father  of  Beder  Basim,  fell 
sick  one  day",  whereupon  his  heart  throbbed,  and  he  felt  that  he  was  about 
to  be  removed  to  the  mansion  of  eternity.  Then  his  malady  increased  so 
that  he  was  at.  the  point  of  death.  He  therefore  summoned  his  son,  and 
charged  him  to  take  care  of  his  subjects,  and  his  mother,  and  all  the  lords 
of  his  empire,  and  all  the  dependents.  He  also  made  them  swear,  and 
covenanted  with  them,  that  they  would  obey  his  son  a  second  time :  and 
he  confided  in  their  oaths.  And  after  this  he  remained  a  few  days,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  mercy  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  His  son  Be- 
der Basim,  and  his  wife  Gulnare,  and  the  emirs,  and  viziers,  and  the  lord"? 
of  the  empire  mourned  over  him;  and  they  made  for  him  a  tomb,  and 
buried  him  in  it,  and  continued  the  ceremonies  of  mourning  for  him  a 
whole  month.  Saleh,  the  brother  of  Gulnare,  and  her  mother,  and  the 
daughters  of  her  uncle  also  came,  and  consoled  them  for  the  loss  of  the 
king  ;  and  they  said,  O  Gulnare,  if  the  king  hath  died,  he  hath  left  this  in- 
genuous youth,  and  he  who  hath  left  such  as  he  is  hath  not:  died.  This  is 
he  who  hath  not  an  equal,  the  crushing  lion,  and  the  splendid  moon.  Then 
the  lords  of  the  empire  and  the  grandees  went  in  to  the  King  Beber  Ba- 
sim, and  said  to  him,  O  king,  there  is  no  harm  in  mourning  for  the  king: 
but  mourning  becometh  not  any  save  women ;  therefore  trouble  not  thy 
heart  and  ours  by  mourning  for  thy  father;  for  he  hath  died  and  left  thee, 
and  he  who  hath  left  such  as  thou  art  hath  not  died.  They  proceeded  to 
address  him  with  soft  words,  and  to  console  him,  and  after  that  they  con- 
ducted him  into  the  bath  ;  and  when  he  came  forth  from  the  bath  he  put 
on  a  magnificent  suit  woven  with  gold,  adorned  with  jewels  and  jacinths, 
and  he  put  the  royal  crown  upon  his  head,  seated  himself  upon  the  throne, 
of  his  kingdom,  and  performed  the  affairs  of  the  people,  deciding  equitably 
between  the  strong  and  the  weak,  and  exacting  for  the  poor  man  his  due 
from  the  emir;  wherefore  the  people  loved  him  exceedingly.  Thus  ho 
continued  to  do  for  the  space  of  a  whole  year;  and  after  every  short  pe- 

251 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

riod  his  family  of  the  sea  visited  hiin ;  so  his  life  was  pleasant  and  his  eye 
was  cheerful ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  live  in  this  state  for  a  length  of  time. 

THE  STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

After  this  it  happened  that  his  maternal  uncle  came  in  one  night  to 
Guhiare  and  saluted  her;  whereupon  she  rose  to  him  and  embraced  him, 
and  seated  him  by  her  side,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  how  art  thou, 
and  how  are  my  mother  and  the  daughters  of  my  uncle  ?  He  answered 
her,  O  my  sister,  they  are  well,  in  prosperity  and  great  happiness,  and 
nothing  is  wanting  to  them  but  the  sight  of  thy  face.  Then  she  offered 
him  some  food,  and  he  ate  ;  and,  conversation  ensuing  between  them,  they 
mentioned  the  King  Beder  Basim,  and  his  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  his 


Beder  Basim. 


stature  and  justness  of  form,  and  his  horsemanship,  and  intelligence,  and 
polite  accomplishments.  Now  the  King  Beder  Basim  was  reclining;  and 
when  he  heard  his  mother  and  his  uncle  mentioning  him  and  conversing 
respecting  him,  he  pretended  that  he  was  asleep,  and  listened  to  their  talk. 
And  Saleh  said  to  his  sister  Gulnare,  The  age  of  thy  son  is  seventeen 
years,  and  he  hath  not  married,  and  we  fear  that  something  may  happen  to 
him,  and  he  may  not  have  a  son.  I  therefore  desire  to  marry  him  to  one 
of  the  queens  of  the  sea,  that  shall  be  like  him  in  beauty  and  loveliness. 
So  Gulnare  replied,  Mention  them  to  me  ;  for  I  know  them.  Accordingly, 
he  proceeded  to  enumerate  them  to  her,  one  after  another,  while  she  said, 
I  approve  not  of  this  for  my  son,  nor  will  I  marry  him  save  to  her  who  is 
like  him  in  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  intelligence  and  religion,  and  polite 
accomplishments  and  kindness  of  nature,  and  dominion,  and  rank,  and  de- 
252 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

scent.  And  he  said  to  her,  I  know  not  one  more  of  the  daughters  of  the 
kings  of  the  sea,  and  1  have  enumerated  to  thee  more  than  a  hundred 
damsels,  yet  not  one  of  them  pleaseth  thee  ;  but  see,  O  my  sister,  whether 
thy  son  be  asleep  or  not.  She  therefore  felt  him,  and  she  found  that  he 
bore  the  appearance  of  sleep;  so  she  said  to  him,  He  is  asleep:  what,  then, 
hast  thou  to  say,  and  what  is  th}'  desire  with  regard  to  his  sleeping  ? 

He  answered  her,  O  my  sister,  know  that  I  have  remembered  a  damsel, 
of  the  damsels  of  the  sea,  suitable  to  thy  son  ;  but  I  fear  to  mention  her, 
lest  thy  son  should  be  awake,  and  his  heart  should  be  entangled  by  love  of 
her,  and  perhaps  we  may  not  be  able  to  gain  access  to  her  :  so  he  and  we, 
and  the  lords  of  his  empire,  would  be  wearied,  and  trouble  would  befall  us 
in  consequence  thereof.     The  poet  hath  said, 

Love,  at  its   commencement,  is  like  running  saliva;    but  when   it  hath   gained 
ascendency,  it  is  like  a  wide  sea. 

And  when  his  sister  heard  his  words,  she  replied,  Tell  me  what  is  the  con- 
dition of  this  damsel,  and  what  is  her  name  ;  for  I  know  the  damsels  of  the 
sea,  the  daughters  of  kings  and  of  others ;  and  if  I  see  her  to  be  suitable  to 
him,  I  will  demand  her  in  marriage  of  her  father,  though  I  expend  upon  her 
all  that  my  hand  possesseth.  Acquaint  me,  therefore,  with  her,  and  fear  not 
aught ;  for  my  son  is  asleep.  He  said,  I  fear  that  he  may  be  awake  ;  and 
the  poet  hath  said, 

I  loved  her  when  her  qualities  were  described ;   for  sometimes  the   ear  loveth 
before  the  eye. 

But  Gulnare  replied,  Say,  and  be  brief,  and  fear  not,  O  my  brother.  And 
he  said,  By  Allah,  O  my  sister,  none  is  suitable  to  thy  son  excepting  the 
Queen  Giohara,  the  daughter  of  the  King  Samandal,  and  she  is  like  him  in 
beauty  and  loveliness,  and  elegance  and  perfection,  and  there  existeth  not 
in  the  sea  nor  on  the  land  any  one  more  graceful  or  more  sweet  in  natural 
endowments  than  she.  For  she  hath  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  handsome 
stature  and  just  form,  and  red  cheek  and  bright  forehead,  and  hair  like  jew- 
els, and  large  black  eye,  and  heavy  hips  and  a  slender  waist,  and  a  lovely 
countenance.  When  she  looketh  aside,  she  putteth  to  shame  the  wild  cows 
and  the  gazelles  ;  and  when  she  walketh  with  a  vacillating  gait,  the  willow 
branch  is  envious  ;  and  when  she  displayeth  her  countenance,  she  con- 
foundeth  the  sun  and  the  moon,  and  captivateth  every  beholder:  she  is 
sweet-lipped,  gentle  in  disposition.  And  when  she  heard  the  words  of  her 
brother,  she  replied,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth,  G  my  brother.  By  Allah,  I 
have  seen  her  many  times,  and  she  was  my  companion  when  we  were 
little  children ;  but  now  we  have  no  acquaintance  with  each  other,  because 
of  the  distance  between  us;  and  for  eighteen  years  I  have  not  seen  her. 
By  Allah,  none  is  suitable  to  my  son  except  her. 

Now  when  Beder  Basim  heard  their  words,  and  understood  what  they 
said  from  first  to  last  in  description  of  the  damsel  that  Saleh  mentioned, 
Giohara  the  daughter  of  the  King  Samandal,  he  became  enamored  of  her 
by  the  ear  ;  but  he  pretended  to  them  that  he  was  asleep.  A  flame  of  fire 
was  kindled  in  his  heart  on  her  account,  and  he  was  drowned  in  a  sea  of 
which  neither  shore  nor  bottom  was  seen.  Then  Saleh  looked  toward  his 
sister  Gulnare,  and  said  to  her,  By  Allah,  O  my  sister,  there  is  not  among 
the  kings  of  the  sea  any  one  more  stupid  than  her  father,  nor  is  there  any 
of  greater  power  than  ho.     Therefore,  acquaint  not  thy  son  with  the  case 

253 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

of  this  damsel  until  we  demand  her  in  marriage  for  him  of  her  father;  and 
if  he  favor  us  by  assenting  to  our  proposal,  we  praise  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted  !)  ;  and  if  he  reject  us,  and  marry  her  not  to  thy  son,  we  will  re- 
main at  ease,  and  demand  in  marriage  another.  And  when  Gulnare  heard 
what  her  brother  Saleh  said,  she  replied,  Excellent  is  the  opinion  that  thou 
hast  formed.  Then  they  were  silent;  and  they  passed  that  night.  In  the 
heart  of  the  King  Beder  Basim  was  a  flame  of  fire,  kindled  by  his  passion 
for  the  Queen  Giohara ;  but  he  concealed  his  case,  and  said  not  to  his 
mother  nor  to  his  uncle  aught  respecting  her,  though  he  was  tortured  by 
love  of  her  as  though  he  were  on  burning  coals.  And  when  they  arose  in 
the  morning,  the  king  and  his  uncle  entered  the  bath  and  washed  :  then 
they  came  forth  and  drank  some  wine,  and  the  attendants  placed  before 
them  the  food :  so  the  King  Beder  Basim.  and  his  mother,  and  his  uncle, 
ate  until  they  were  satisfied,  and  washed  their  hands.  And  after  that  Sa- 
leh rose  upon  his  feet,  and  said  to  the  King  Beder  Basim  and  his  mother 
Gulnare,  With  your  permission,  I  would  go  to  my  mother  ;  for  I  have  been 
with  you  a  period  of  days,  and  the  hearts  of  my  family  are  troubled  re- 
specting me,  and  they  are  expecting  me.  But  the  King  Beder  Basim  said 
to  his  uncle  Saleh,  Remain  with  us  this  day.  And  he  complied  with  his 
request. 

Beder  Basim  then  said,  Arise  with  us,  O  my  uncle,  and  go  forth  with  us 
to  the  garden.  So  they  went  to  the  garden,  and  proceeded  to  divert  and 
recreate  themselves;  and  the  King  Beder  Basim  seated  himself  beneath  a 
shady  tree,  desiring  to  rest  and  sleep;  but  he  remembered  what  his  uncle 
Saleh  had  said,  describing  the  damsel,  and  her  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  he 
shed  many  tears,  and  recited  these  two  verses  : 

Were  it  said  to  me,  while  the  flame  is  burning  within  me,  and  the  fire  blazing  in 

my  heart  and  bowels, 
Wouldst  thou  rather  that  thou  shouldst  behold  them,  or  a  draught  of  pure  water? 

I  would  answer,  Them. 

Then  he  lamented,  and  groaned,  and  wept,  and  recited  these  two  other 
verses : 

Who  will  save  me  from  the  love  of  a  charming  gazelle,  with  a  face  like  the  sun; 

nay,  more  lovely  ? 
My  heart  was  at  ease,  free  from  love  of  her;  but  now  burnetii  with  passion  for  the 

daughter  of  Samandal. 

So  when  his  uncle  Saleh  heard  what  he  said,  he  struck  hand  upon  hand, 
and  said,  There  is  no  Deity  but  God ;  Mohammed  is  the  Apostle  of  God  ; 
and  there  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  Then 
he  said  to  him,  Didst  thou  hear,  O  my  son,  what  I  and  thy  mother  said  re- 
specting the  Queen  Giohara,  and  our  mention  of  her  qualities  ?  Beder 
Basim  answered,  Yes,  O  my  uncle,  and  I  became  enamored  of  her  from 
hearsay  when  I  heard  what  ye  said.  My  heart  is  devoted  to  her,  and  I 
have  not  patience  to  remain  absent  from  her.  Saleh  therefore  said  to  him, 
O  king,  let  us  return  to  thy  mother  and  acquaint  her  with  the  case,  and  J 
will  ask  her  to  permit  me  to  take  thee  with  me  and  to  demand  in  marriage 
for  thee  the  Queen  Giohara.  Then  we  will  bid  her  farewell,  and  I  will 
return  with  thee  ;  for  I  fear  that,  if  I  took  thee  and  went  without  her  per- 
mission, she  would  be  incensed  against  me,  and  she  would  be  right,  as  1 
should  be  the  cause  of  your  separation,  like  as  I  was  the  cause  of  her  sep- 
aration from  us.  The  city,  too,  would  be  without  a  king,  its  people  having 
254 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 


Beder  Basim  making  known  his  passion. 

none  to  goveru  them,  and  to  see  to  their  cases  :  so  the  state  of  the  empire 
would  become  adverse  unto  thee,  and  the  kingdom  would  depart  from  thy 
hand.  But  when  Beder  Basim  heard  the  words  of  his  uncle  Saleh,  he  re- 
plied, Know,  O  my  uncle,  that  if  I  return  to  my  mother  and  consult  her  on 
this  subject,  she  will  not  allow  me  to  do  it;  therefore  I  will  not  return  to 
her,  nor  consult  her  ever.  And  he  wept  before  his  uncle,  and  said  to  him, 
I  will  go  with  thee,  and  I  will  not  inform  her,  and  then  I  will  return.  So 
when  Saleh  heard  the  words  of  his  sister's  son,  he  was  perplexed  at  his 
case,  and  said,  I  beg  aid  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  in  every  circum- 
stance. 

Then  Saleh,  seeing  his  sister's  son  in  this  state,  and  knowing  that  he 
desired  not  to  return  to  his  mother,  but  would  go  with  him,  took  from  his 
finger  a  seal-ring  on  which  were  engraved  some  of  the  names  of  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  handed  it  to  the  King  Beder  Basim.  saying 
to  him,  Put  this  upon  thy  finger,  and  thou  wilt  be  secure  from  drowning 
and  from  other  accidents,  and  from  the  noxiousness  of  the  beasts  of  the  sea 
and  its  great  fishes.  So  the  King  Beder  Basim  took  the  seal-ring  from  his 
uncle  Saleh  and  put  it  upon  his  finger;  after  which  they  plunged  into  the 
sea,  and  ceased  not  in  their  course  until  they  arrived  at  the  palace  of  Saleh, 
when  they  entered  it,  and  Beder  Basim's  grandmother,  the  mother  of  his 
mother,  saw  him,  as  she  sat,  attended  by  her  relations.  When  they  went 
in  to  them,  they  kissed  thoir  hands;  and  as  soon  as  Beder  Basim's  grand- 

255 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

mother  saw  him,  she  rose  to  him  and  embraced  him,  kissed  him  between 
the  eyes,  and  said  to  him,  Thine  arrival  is  blessed,  O  my  son !  How  didst 
thou  leave  thy  mother  Gulnare  ?  He  answered  her,  Well ;  in  prosperity 
and  health ;  and  she  saluteth  thee  and  the  daughters  of  her  uncle.  Then 
Saleh  acquainted  his  mother  with  that  which  had  occurred  between  him 
and  his  sister  Gulnare,  and  that  the  King  Beder  Basim  had  become  en- 
amored of  the  Queen  Giohara,  the  daughter  of  the  King  Samandal,  from 
hearsay.  He  related  to  her  the  story  from  beginning  to  end,  and  said.  He 
hath  not  come  but  for  the  purpose  of  demanding  her  in  marriage  of  her 
father,  and  marrying  her. 

But  when  the  grandmother  of  the  King  Beder  Basim  heard  the  words 
of  Saleh,  she  was  violently  incensed  against  him,  and  was  agitated  and 
grieved,  and  she  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  thou  hast  erred  in  mentioning  the 
Queen  Giohara,  the  daughter  of  the  King  Samandal,  before  the  son  of  thy 
sister;  for  thou  knowest  that  the  King  Samandal  is  stupid,  overbearing,  of 
little  sense,  of  great  power,  niggardly  of  his  daughter  Giohara  toward  those 
who  demand  her  in  marriage  ;  for  all  the  kings  of  the  sea  have  demanded 
her  of  him,  and  he  refused,  and  approved  not  one  of  them,  but  rejected 
them  all,  and  said  to  them,  Ye  are  not  equal  to  her  in  beauty  nor  in  loveli- 
ness, nor  in  other  qualities  than  those.  And  we  fear  to  demand  her  in 
marriage  of  her  father;  for  he  would  reject  us  as  he  hath  rejected  others; 
and  we  are  people  of  kindness  ;  so  we  should  return  broken-hearted.  And 
when  Saleh  heard  what  his  mother  said,  he  replied,  O  my  mother,  what 
is  to  be  done  ?  For  the  King  Beder  Basim  became  enamored  of  this  dam- 
sel when  I  mentioned  her  to  my  sister  Gulnare,  and  he  said,  We  must  de- 
mand her  in  marriage  of  her  father  though  I  should  give  away  all  my  king- 
dom. And  he  hath  asserted  that  if  he  marry  her  not  he  will  die  of  love 
and  desire  for  her.  Then  Saleh  said  to  his  mother.  Know  that  the  son  of 
my  sister  is  more  beautiful  and  more  lovely  than  she,  and  that  his  father 
was  king  of  all  the  Persians,  and  he  is  now  their  king,  and  Giohara  is  not 
suitable  to  any  but  him.  I  have  resolved  that  I  will  take  jewels,  consisting 
of  jacinths  and  other  gems,  and  convey  a  present  befitting  him,  and  demand 
her  of  him  in  marriage.  If  he  allege  as  a  pretext  to  us  that  he  is  a  king, 
so  also  is  he  a  king,  the  son  of  a  king.  And  if  he  allege  as  a  pretext,  to  us 
her  loveliness,  he  is  more  lovely  than  she.  Again,  if  he  allege  as  a  pretext 
to  us  the  extent  of  dominions,  he  hath  more  extensive  dominions  than  she 
and  than  her  father,  and  hath  more  numerous  troops  and  guards  ;  for  his 
kingdom  is  greater  than  the  kingdom  of  her  father.  I  must  endeavor  to 
accomplish  this  affair  of  the  son  of  my  sister,  though  my  life  be  lost  there- 
by, since  I  was  the  cause  of  this  event;  and,  as  I  cast  him  into  the  seas  of 
her  love,  I  will  strive  to  effect  his  marriage  to  her;  and  may  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !)  aid  me  to  do  that!  So  his  mother  said  to  him.  Do  as 
thou  wilt,  and  beware  of  speaking  rudely  to  him  when  thou  addressest  him; 
for  thou  knowest  his  stupidity  and  his  power,  and  I  fear  lest  he  make  a  vio- 
lent attack  upon  thee,  since  he  knoweth  not  the  dignity  of  any  one.  And 
he  replied,  I  hear  and  obey. 

He  then  arose,  and  took  with  him  two  leathern  bags  full  of  jewels,  and 
jacinths,  and  oblong  emeralds,  and  precious  minerals  of  all  kinds  of  stones, 
and,  having  made  his  young  men  carry  them,  he  proceeded  with  them,  he 
and  the  son  of  his  sister,  to  the  palace  of  the  King  Samandal.  He  asked 
permission  to  go  in  to  him,  and  permission  was  given  him;  and  when  he 
256 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

entered,  he  kissed  the  ground  before  him  and  saluted  with  the  best  saluta- 
tion. And  when  the  King  Samandal  saw  him,  he  rose  to  him,  treated  him 
with  the  utmost  honor,  and  ordered  him  to  sit.  So  he  sat;  and  after  he 
had  been  seated  a  while,  the  king  said  to  him,  Thine  arrival  is  blessed. 
Thou  hast  made  us  desolate  by  thine  absence,  O  Saleh.  What  is  thy  want, 
that  thou  hast  come  unto  us  ?  Acquaint  me  with  thy  want,  that  I  may  per- 
form it  for  thee.  And  upon  this  he  rose  and  kissed  the  ground  a  second 
time,  and  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  my  want  respecteth  God,  and  the  mag- 
nanimous king,  and  the  bold  lion,  the  report  of  whose  good  qualities  the 
caravans  have  borne  abroad,  and  whose  fame  hath  been  published  in  the 
provinces  and  cities  for  liberality  and  beneficence,  and  pardon,  and  clem- 
ency, and  obliging  conduct.  Then  he  opened  the  two  leathern  bags,  and 
took  forth  from  them  the  jewels  and  other  things,  and  scattered  them  be- 
fore the  King  Samandal,  saying  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  perhaps  thou 
wilt,  accept  my  present,  and  show  favor  to  me,  and  comfort  my  heart  by 
accepting  it  from  me.  Upon  this  the  King  Samandal  said  to  him,  For 
what  reason  hast  thou  presented  to  me  this  present?  Tell  me  thine  af- 
fair, and  acquaint  me  with  thy  want ;  and  if  I  be  able  to  perform  it,  I  will 
perform  it  for  thee  this  instant,  and  not.  oblige  thee  to  weary  thyself;  but 
if  I  be  unable  to  perform  it,  God  imposeth  not  upon  a  person  aught  save 
what  he  is  able  to  accomplish.  Then  Saleh  arose  and  kissed  the  ground 
three  times,  and  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  verily  the  thing  that  I  require  thou 
art  able  to  perform,  and  it  is  in  thy  power,  and  thou  art  master  of  it.  I 
impose  not  upon  the  king  a  difficulty,  nor  am  I  mad,  that  I  should  ask  of 
the  king  a  thing  that  he  is  unable  to  do  ;  for  one  of  the  sages  hath  said,  If 
thou  desire  that  thy  request  should  be  complied  with,  ask  that  which  is 
possible.  Now  as  to  the  thing  that  I  have  come  to  demand,  the  king  (may 
God  preserve  him!)  is  able  to  do  it.  So  the  king  said  to  him,  Ask  the 
thing  that  thou  requirest,  and  explain  thine  affair,  and  demand  what  thou 
desirest.  And  he  said  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  know  that  I  have  come 
to  thee  as  a  marriage  suitor,  desiring  the  unique  pearl,  and  the  hidden 
jewel,  the  Queen  Giohara,  the  daughter  of  our  lord  ;  then  disappoint  not, 
O  kiny;,  him  who  applieth  to  thee. 

But  when  the  king  heard  his  words,  he  laughed  so  that  he  fell  backward, 
in  derision  of  him,  and  replied,  O  Saleh,  I  used  to  think  thee  a  man  of 
sense,  and  an  excellent  young  man,  who  attempted  not  aught  but  what  was 
right,  and  uttered  not  aught  but  what  was  just.  What  hath  happened  to 
thy  reason,  and  urged  thee  to  this  monstrous  thing,  and  great  peril,  that 
thou  demandest  in  marriage  the  daughters  of  kings,  the  lords  of  cities  and 
provinces  ?  Art  thou  of  a  rank  to  attain  to  this  high  eminence,  and  hath 
thy  reason  decreased  to  this  extreme  degree  that  thou  confrontest  me  with 
these  words?  So  Saleh  said,  .May  God  amend  the  state  of  the  king!  I 
demanded  her  not  in  marriage  for  myself;  yet,  if  I  demanded  her  for  my- 
self, [  am  her  equal  ;  nay,  more  ;  for  thou  knowest  that  my  father  was 
one  of  the  kings  of  the  sea,  if  thou  art  now  our  king.  But  I  demanded 
her  not  in  marriage  save  for  the  King  Beder  Basim,  lord  of  the  provinces 
of  Persia,  whose  father  was  the  King  Shahzemau,  and  thou  knowest  his 
power.  If  thou  assert  that  thou  art  a  great  king,  the  King  Beder  Basim  is 
a  greater  king;  and  if  thou  boastest  that  thy  daughter  is  lovely,  the  King 
Beder  Basim  is  more  lovely  than  she,  and  more  beautiful  in  form,  and  more 
excellent  in  rank  and  descent;  and  he  is  the  horseman  of  his  ajre.     So  if 

257 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

thou  assent  to  that  which  I  have  asked  of  thee,  thou  wilt,  O  king  of  the 
age,  have  put  the  thing  in  its  proper  place  ;  and  if  thou  behave  arrogantly 
toward  us,  thou  treatest  us  not  equitably,  nor  pursuest  with  us  the  right 
Way.  Thou  knowest,  O  king,  that  this  Queen  Giohara,  the  daughter  of 
our  lord  the  king,  must  be  married ;  for  the  sage  saith,  The  inevitable  lot 
of  the  damsel  is  either  marriage  or  the  grave  ;  and  if  thou  design  to  marry 
her,  the  son  of  my  sister  is  more  worthy  of  her  than  all  the  rest  of  men. 
But  when  the  King  Samandal  heard  the  words  of  the  King  Saleh,  he  was 
violently  enraged ;  his  reason  almost  departed  and  his  soul  almost  quitted 
his  body,  and  he  said  to  him,  O  dog  of  men,  doth  such  a  one  as  thyself  ad- 
dress me  with  these  words,  and  dost  thou  mention  my  daughter  in  the  as- 
semblies, and  say  that  the  son  of  thy  sister  Gulnare  is  her  equal  ?  Who, 
then,  art  thou,  and  who  is  thy  sister,  and  who  is  her  son,  and  who  was  his 
father,  that  thou  sayest  to  me  these  words,  and  addressest  me  with  this 
discourse?  Ai-e  ye,  in  comparison  with  her,  aught  but  dogs?  Then  he 
called  out  to  his  young  men,  and  said,  O  young  men,  take  the  head  of  this 
young  wretch ! 

So  they  took  the  swords  and  drew  them,  and  sought  to  slay  him  ;  but  he 
turned  his  back  in  flight,  seeking  the  gate  of  the  palace ;  and  when  he  ar- 
rived at  the  gate  of  the  palace,  he  saw  the  sons  of  his  uncle,  and  his  rela- 
tions and  tribe,  and  young  men,  who  were  more  than  a  thousand  horsemen, 
buried  in  iron  and  in  coats  of  mail  put  one  over  another,  and  having  in  their 
hands  spears  and  bright  swords.  On  their  seeing  Saleh  in  this  state,  they 
said  to  him,  What,  is  the  news?  He  therefore  told  them  his  story.  And 
his  mother  had  sent  them  to  his  assistance.  So  when  they  heard  his  words, 
they  knew  that  the  king  was  stupid  and  of  great  power,  and  they  alighted 
from  their  horses,  and  drew  their  swords,  and  went  in  to  the  King  Saman- 
dal. They  saw  him  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  his  kingdom,  heedless  of 
these  people,  and  violently  enraged  against  Saleh  ;  and  they  saw  his  serv- 
ants, and  his  young  men,  and  his  guards  unprepared ;  and  when  he  beheld 
them,  with  the  drawn  swords  in  their  hands,  he  called  out  to  his  people, 
saying,  O  !  woe  to  you !  Take  ye  the  heads  of  these  dogs  !  But  there 
had  not  elapsed  more  than  a  little  while  before  the  party  of  the  King  Sa- 
mandal were  routed,  and  betook  themselves  to  flight;  and  Saleh  and  his 
relations  had  seized  the  King  Samandal,  and  bound  his  hands  behind  him. 

Now  Giohara,  awaking  from  sleep,  was  informed  that  her  father  was 
taken  a  captive,  and  that  his  guards  had  been  slain.  So  she  went  forth 
from  the  palace  and  fled  to  one  of  the  islands,  where  she  repaired  to  a 
lofty  tree,  and  she  concealed  herself  upon  it.  And  when  these  two  par- 
ties contended  together,  some  of  the  young  men  of  the  King  Samandal 
fled,  and  Beder  Basim,  seeing  them,  asked  them  respecting  their  case ; 
whereupon  they  acquainted  him  with  that  which  had  happened.  There- 
fore, on  his  hearing  that  the  King  Samandal  had  been  seized,  he  turned 
his  back  in  flight,  fearing  for  himself,  and  said  in  his  heart,  Verily  this  dis- 
turbance originated  on  my  account,  and  none  is  the  object  of  search  but 
myself.  He  turned  back  in  flight,  seeking  safety,  and  knew  not  whither 
to  go.  But  the  destinies  fixed  from  all  eternity  drove  him  to  that  island 
upon  which  was  Giohara,  the  daughter  of  the  King  Samandal  ;  and  he 
came  to  the  tree  and  threw  himself  down  like  one  slain,  desiring  to  take 
rest  by  his  prostrate  position,  and  not  knowing  that  every  one  who  is  an 
object  of  search  resteth  not,  and  none  kuoweth  what  is  hidden  from  him 
258 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA 


in  the  secrets  of  destiny.  And 
when  he  lay  down,  he  turned 
up  his  eyes  toward  the  tree, 
and  his  eye  met  that  of  Gio- 
hara :  so  he  looked  at  her,  and 
saw  her  to  be  like  the  moon 
when  it  shineth ;  and  he  said, 
Extolled  be  the  perfection  of 
the  Creator  of  this  surprising 
form  !  and  He  is  the  Creator 
of  every  thing,  and  is  Al- 
mighty !  Extolled  be  the  per- 
fection of  God,  the  Great, 
the  Creator,  the  Maker,  the 
Former!  By  Allah,  if  my 
imagination  tell  me  truth,  this 
must  be  Giohara  the  daughter 
of  the  King  Samandal.  I  sup- 
pose that  when  she  heard  of 
the  conflict  happening  between 
the  two  parties,  she  fled,  and 
came  to  this  island  and  hid  her- 
self upon  this  tree  ;  but  if  this 
be  not  the  Queen  Giohara, 
this  is  more  beautiful  than  she. 
Then  he  proceeded  to  medi- 
tate upon  her  case,  and  said 
within  himself,  I  will  rise  and 
lay  hold  upon  her,  and  ask  her 
respecting  her  state ;  and  if 
this  be  she,  I  will  demand  her  in  marriage  of  herself,  and  this  is  the  thing 
I  seek.  So  he  stood  erect  upon  his  feet,  and  said  to  Giohara,  O  utmost 
object  of  desire,  who  art  thou,  and  who  brought  thee  unto  this  place  ?  And 
Giohara,  looking  at  Beder  Basim,  saw  him  to  be  like  the  full  moon  when  it 
appeareth  from  behind  the  black  clouds,  of  elegant  stature,  comely  in  his 
smile.  She  therefore  said  to  him,  O  thou  endowed  with  comely  qualities, 
I  am  the  Queen  Giohara,  the  daughter  of  the  King  Samandal,  and  I  have 
fled  to  this  place  because  Saleh  and  his  troops  have  fought  with  my  father 
and  slain  his  troops,  and  made  him  a  captive,  together  with  some  of  his 
troops  :  so  I  fled  in  fear  for  myself.  Then  the  Queen  Giohara  said  to  the 
King  Beder  Basim,  And  I  came  not  to  this  place  save  in  flight,  fearing 
slaughter  ;  and  I  know  not  what  fortune  hath  done  with  my  father.  And 
when  Beder  Basim  heard  her  words,  he  wondered  extremely  at  this  strange 
coincidence,  and  said.  No  doubt  1  have  attained  my  desire  by  the  capture  of 
her  father.  He  then  looked  at  her,  and  said  to  her,  Descend,  O  my  mistress, 
for  1  am  a  victim  of  thy  love,  and  thine  eyes  have  captivated  me.  On  ac- 
count of  me  and  thee  were  this  disturbance  and  these  conflicts.  Know 
that  I  am  the  King  Beder  Basim,  the  King  of  Persia,  and  that  Saleh  is  my 
maternal  uncle,  and  ho  is  the  person  who  came  to  thy  father  and  demand- 
ed thee  of  him  in  marriage.  1  have  left  my  kingdom  on  thine  account,  and 
our  meeting  now  is  a  wonderful  coincidence.     Arise  then,  and  descend  to 

259 


Beder  Basiui  addressing  Giohara  in  the  tree. 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

me,  that  I  may  go  with  thee  to  the  palace  of  thy  father,  and  ask  my  uncle 
Saleh  to  release  him,  and  marry  thee  lawfully. 

But  when  Giohara  heard  the  words  of  Beder  Basim,  she  said  within 
herself,  On  account  of  this  base  young  wretch  hath  this  event  happened, 
and  my  father  been  made  a  captive,  and  his  chamberlains  and  his  attend- 
ants have  been  slain,  and  I  have  become  separated  from  my  palace,  and 
come  forth  an  exile  from  my  country  to  this  island.  If  now  1  employ  not 
some  stratagem  with  him,  thereby  to  defend  myself  from  him,  he  will  gain 
possession  of  me,  and  attain  his  desire  ;  for  he  is  in  love ;  and  the  lover, 
whatever  he  doth,  is  not  to  be  blamed  for  it.  Then  she  beguiled  him  with 
words,  and  with  soft  discourse,  and  he  knew  not  what  artifices  she  had  de- 
vised against  him  ;  and  she  said  to  him,  O  my  master  and  light  of  my  eye, 
art  thou  the  King  Beder  Basim,  the  son  of  the  Queen  Gulnare  ?  So  he 
answered  her,  Yes,  O  my  mistress.  And  she  said,  May  God  cut  off  my 
father,  and  deprive  him  of  his  kingdom,  and  not  comfort  his  heart,  nor  re- 
store him  from  estrangement,  if  he  desire  a  person  more  comely  than  thou, 
and  aught  more  comely  than  these  charming  endowments!  By  Allah,  he 
is  of  little*  sense  and  judgment !  She  then  said  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age, 
blame  not  my  father  for  that  which  he  hath  done.  If  the  measure  of  thy 
love  for  me  be  a  span,  that  of  my  love  for  thee  is  a  cubit.  I  have  fallen  into 
the  snare  of  thy  love,  and  become  of  the  number  of  thy  victims.  The 
love  that  thou  hadst  is  transferred  to  me,  and  there  remaineth  not  of  it  with 
thee  aught  save  as  much  as  the  tenth  part  of  what  I  feel.  Then  she  de- 
scended from  the  tree  and  drew  near  to  him,  and  came  to  him  and  em- 
braced him,  pressing  him  to  her  bosom,  and  began  to  kiss  him.  So  when 
the  King  Beder  Basim  saw  what  she  did  to  him,  his  love  for  her  increased, 
and  his  desire  for  her  became  violent.  He  imagined  that  she  was  enam- 
ored of  him,  and  he  confided  in  her,  and  proceeded  to  embrace  her  and  kiss 
her.  And  he  said  to  her,  O  queen,  by  Allah,  my  uncle  Saleh  did  not  de- 
scribe to  me  the  quarter  of  the  tenth  part  of  thy  loveliness,  nor  the  quarter 
of  a  carat  of  four-and-twenty  carats.  Then  Giohara  pressed  him  to  her 
bosom  and  uttered  some  words  not  to  be  understood  ;  after  which  she  spat 
in  his  face,  and  said  to  him,  Be  changed  from  this  human  form  into  the 
form  of  a  bird,  the  most  beautiful  of  birds,  with  white  feathers,  and  red 
bill  and  feet.  And  her  words  were  not  ended  before  the  King  Beder  Basim 
became  transformed  into  the  shape  of  a  bird,  the  most  beautiful  that  could 
be  of  birds  ;  and  he  shook,  and  stood  upon  his  feet,  looking  at  Giohara. 
Now  she  had  with  her  a  damsel,  one  of  her  female  slaves,  named  Marsina, 
and  she  looked  at  her  and  said,  By  Allah,  were  it  not  that  I  fear  on  ac- 
count of  my  father's  being  a  captive  with  his  uncle,  I  had  slain  him,  and 
may  God  not  recompense  him  well ;  for  how  unfortunate  was  his  coming 
unto  us,  all  this  disturbance  having  been  effected  by  his  means !  But,  O 
slave  girl,  take  him  and  convey  him  to  the  Thirsty  Island,  and  leave  him 
there  that  he  may  die  of  thirst.  "So  the  slave  girl  took  him  and  conveyed 
him  to  the  island,  and  was  about  to  return  from  him;  but  she  said  within 
herself,  By  Allah,  the  person  endowed  with  this  beauty  and  loveliness  de- 
serveth  not  to  die  of  thirst.  Then  she  took  him  forth  from  the  Thirsty 
Island,  and  brought  him  to  an  island  abounding  with  trees,  and  fruits,  and 
rivers,  and,  having  put  him  upon  it,  returned  to  her  mistress,  and  said  to  her, 
I  have  put  him  upon  the  Thirsty  Island.  Such  was  the  case  of  Beder 
Basim. 

260 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

But  as  to  Saleh,  the  uncle  of  the  King  Bedev  Basim,  when  he  had  got 
possession  of  the  King  Samandal,  and  slain  his  guards  and  servants,  and  the 
king  had  become  his  captive,  he  sought  Giohara,  the  king's  daughter;  but 
found  her  not.  So  he  returned  to  his  palace,  to  the  presence  of  his  moth- 
er, and  said,  O  my  mother,  where  is  the  son  of  my  sister,  the  King  Beder 
Basim  ?  She  answered,  O  my  son,  by  Allah,  I  have  no  knowledge  of  him, 
nor  know  I  whither  he  hath  gone ;  for  when  he  was  told  that  thou  had  St 
fought  with  the  King  Samandal.  and  that  conflicts  and  slaughter  had  ensued 
between  you,  he  was  terrified  and  fled.  So  when  Saleh  heard  the  words 
of  his  mother,  he  grieved  for  the  son  of  his  sister,  and  said,  O  my  mother, 
by  Allah,  we  have  acted  negligently  with  respect  to  the  King  Beder  Basim, 
and  I  fear  that  he  will  perish,  or  that  one  of  the  soldiers  of  the  King  Sa- 
mandal may  fall  upon  him,  or  that  the  king's  daughter  Giohara  may  fall  upon 
him,  and  shame  will  betide  us  from  his  mother,  and  good  will  not  betide  us 
from  her;  for  I  took  him  without  her  permission.  Then  he  sent  guards 
and  spies  after  him,  through  the  sea  and  in  other  directions,  but  they  met 
with  no  tidings  of  him  ;  wherefore  they  returned  and  informed  the  King 
Saleh  thereof;  and  his  anxiety  and  grief  increased,  and  his  bosom  became 
contracted  on  account  of  the  King  Beder  Basim.     Thus  was  it  with  them. 

Next,  with  regard  to  Beder  Basim's  mother,  Gulnare  of  the  Sea,  when 
her  son  had  descended  into  the  sea  with  his  uncle  Siileh,  she  waited  ex- 
pecting him  ;  but  he  returned  not  to  her,  and  tidings  of  him  were  long  kept 
from  her.  So  she  remained  many  days  expecting  him;  after  which  she 
arose  and  descended  into  the  sea,  and  came  to  her  mother ;  and  when  her 
mother  saw  her,  she  rose  to  her,  and  kissed  her  and  embraced  her,  as  did  also 
the  daughters  of  her  uncle.  She  then  asked  her  mother  respecting  the  King 
Beder  Basim,  and  her  mother  answered  her,  O  my  daughter,  he  came  with 
his  uncle,  and  his  uncle  took  jacinths  and  jewels,  and  went  with  them,  he  and 
Beder  Basim,  to  the  King  Samandal,  and  demanded  in  marriage  his  daugh- 
ter; but  the  king  assented  not  to  his  proposal,  and  he  was  violent  to  thy 
brother  in  his  words.  I  therefore  sent  to  thy  brother  about  a  thousand 
horsemen,  and  a  conflict  ensued  between  them  and  the  King  Samandal ; 
but  God  aided  thy  brother  against  them,  and  he  slew  his  guards  and  his 
troops,  and  made  the  King  Samandal  a  captive.  So  tidings  of  this  event 
reached  thy  son,  and  apparently  he  feared  for  himself;  wherefore  he  fled 
from  us  without  our  will,  and  he  returned  not  to  us  after  that,  nor  have  we 
heard  any  tidings  of  him.  Then  Gulnare  intpiired  of  her  respecting  her 
brother  Saleh,  and  she  informed  her,  saying,  He  is  sitting  upon  the  throne 
of  the  kingdom  in  the  place  of  the  King  Samandal,  and  he  hath  sent  in 
every  direction  to  search  for  thy  son  and  the  Queen  Giohara.  So  when 
Gulnare  heard  the  words  of  her  mother,  she  mourned  for  her  son  violent- 
ly, and  her  anger  was  fierce  against  her  brother  Saleh,  because  he  had  taken 
her  son  and  descended  with  him  into  the  sea  without  her  permission.  She 
then  said,  O  my  mother,  verily  I  fear  for  our  kingdom ;  for  I  came  to  you 
and  acquainted  not  any  one  of  the  people  of  the  empire,  and  I  dread,  it  I 
remain  long  away  from  them,  that  the  kingdom  will  be  alienated  from  us, 
and  that  the  dominion  will  depart  from  our  hands.  The  right  opinion  is, 
that  1  should  return,  and  govern  the  empire  until  God  shall  order  for  us  the 
affair  of  my  son;  and  for  gel  not  ye  my  son,  nor  neglect  his  case;  for  if 
mischief  befall  him,  1  perish  inevitably  :  since  I  regard  not  the  world  save 
in  connection  with  him,  nor  delight  save  in  his  life.     So  her  mother  replied, 

261 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BAS1M  AND  GIOHARA. 

With  feelings  of  love  and  honor  will  I  comply,  O  my  daughter.  Inquire 
not  what  we  suffer  by  reason  of  his  separation  and  absence.  Then  her 
mother  sent  to  search  for  him,  and  Beder  Basim's  mother  returned  with 
mourning  heart  and  weeping  eye  to  the  empire.  The  world  had  become 
strait  to  her,  her  heart  was  contracted,  and  her  case  was  grievous. 

Now  again  as  to  the  King  Beder  Basim,  when  the  Queen  Giohara  had  en- 
chanted him,  and  sent  him  with  her  female  slave  to  the  Thirsty  Island,  say- 
ing to  her,  Leave  him  upon  it  to  die  of  thirst — the  slave  girl  put  him  not  save 
upon  a  verdant,  fruitful  island,  with  trees  and  rivers.  So  he  betook  himself 
to  eating  of  the  fruits  and  drinking  of  the  rivers :  and  he  ceased  not  to  re- 
main in  this  state  for  a  period  of  days  and  nights,  in  the  form  of  a  bird,  not 
knowing  whither  to  go  nor  how  to  fly.  And  while  he  was  one  day  upon 
that  island,  lo,  there  came  thither  a  fowler  to  catch  something  wherewith 
to  sustain  himself,  and  he  saw  the  King  Beder  Basim  in  the  form  of  a  bird, 
with  white  feathers,  and  with  red  bill  and  feet,  captivating  the  beholder  and 
astonishing  the  mind.  So  the  fowler  looked  at  him,  and  he  pleased  him, 
and  he  said  within  himself,  Verily  this  bird  is  beautiful:  I  have  not  seen  a 
bird  like  it  in  its  beauty,  nor  in  its  form.  Then  he  cast  the  net  over  him 
and  caught  him,  and  he  went  with  him  into  the  city,  saying  within  himself, 
I  will  sell  it,  and  receive  its  price.  And  one  of  the  people  of  the  city  met 
him,  and  said  to  him,  For  how  much  is  this  bird  to  be  sold,  O  fowler  ? 
The  fowler  said  to  him,  If  thou  buy  it,  what  wilt  thou  do  with  it  ?  The 
man  answered,  I  will  kill  it  and  eat  it.     But  the  fowler  said  to  him,  Whose 


The  fowler  with  the  bird. 


'262 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

heart  would  be  pleased  to  kill  this  bird  and  eat  it?  Verily  I  desire  to  pre 
sent  it  to  the  king;,  and  he  will  give  ine  more  than  the  sum  that  thou  wouldst 
give  me  as  its  price,  and  will  not  kill  it,  but  will  divert  himself  with  behold- 
ing it,  and  observing  its  beauty  and  loveliness ;  for  during  my  whole  life, 
while  I  have  been  a  fowler,  I  have  not  seen  the  like  of  it  among  the  prey 
of  the  sea  nor  among  the  prey  of  the  land.  If  thou  be  desirous  of  it,  the 
utmost  that  thou  wouldst  give  me  as  its  price  would  be  a  piece  of  silver  ; 
and  I,  by  Allah  the  Great,  will  not  sell  it.  Then  the  fowler  went  with  him 
to  the  palace  of  the  king ;  and  when  the  king  saw  him,  his  beauty  and  love- 
liness pleased  him,  and  the  redness  of  his  bill  and  his  feet;  so  he  sent  to 
the  fowler  a  eunuch  to  purchase  him  of  him ;  and  the  eunuch  came  to  the 
fowler  and  said  to  him,  Wilt  thou  sell  this  bird  ?  He  answered,  No ;  it  is 
for  the  king,  as  a  present  from  me  unto  him.  The  eunuch  therefore  took 
him,  and  went  with  him  to  the  king,  and  acquainted  him  with  that  which 
he  had  said ;  whereupon  the  king  took  the  bird,  and  gave  to  the  fowler  ten 
pieces  of  gold  ;  and  he  received  them,  and  kissed  the  ground,  and  departed. 
The  eunuch  then  brought  the  bird  to  the  king's  pavilion,  put  him  in  a  hand- 
some cage,  hung  it  up,  and  put  with  him  what  he  might  eat  and  drink. 
And  when  the  king  came  down,  he  said  to  the  eunuch,  Where  is  the  bird  ? 
Bring  it  that  I  may  see  it.  By  Allah,  it  is  beautiful !  So  the  eunuch  brought 
him  and  put  him  before  the  king;  and  he  saw  that,  of  the  food  that  was 
with  him,  he  had  not  eaten  aught;  wherefore  the  king  said,  By  Allah,  I 
know  not  what  he  will  eat,  that  I  may  feed  him.  Then  he  gave  orders  to 
bring  the  repast.  The  tables  therefore  were  brought  before  him,  and  the 
king  ate  of  the  repast ;  and  when  the  bird  looked  at  the  flesh-meat  and 
other  viands,  and  the  sweetmeats  and  fruits,  he  ate  of  all  that  was  upon  the 
table  before  the  king,  and  the  king  was  amazed  at  him,  and  wondered  at 
his  eating,  as  did  also  the  other  persons  who  were  present.  And  upon  this 
the  king  said  to  the  eunuchs  and  mainlouks  who  were  around  him,  In  my 
life  I  have  never  seen  a  bird  eat  like  this  bird. 

The  king  then  commanded  that  his  wife  should  come  to  divert  herself 
with  the  sight  of  him.  So  the  eunuch  went  to  bring  her ;  and  when  he 
saw  her  he  said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  the  king  desireth  thy  presence,  in 
order  that  thou  mayest  divert  thyself  with  the  sight  of  this  bird  that  he 
hath  bought ;  for  when  we  brought  the  repast,  it  flew  from  the  cage,  and 
pitched  upon  the  table,  and  ate  of  all  that  was  upon  it.  Arise,  then,  O  my 
mistress  ;  divert  thyself  with  the  sight  of  it;  for  it  is  beautiful  in  appear- 
ance, and  it  is  a  wonder  among  the  wonders  of  the  age.  Therefore,  when 
she  heard  the  words  of  the  eunuch,  she  came  quickly  ;  but  as  soon  as  she 
looked  at  the  bird,  and  discovered  him,  she  veiled  her  face  and  turned 
back.  So  the  king  rose  and  followed  her,  and  said  to  her,  Wherefore  didst 
thou  cover  thy  face,  when  there  are  not  in  thy  presence  any  but  the  female 
slaves  and  the  eunuchs  who  serve  thee,  and  thy  husband  ?  And  she  an- 
swered, O  king,  verily  this  is  not  a  bird;  but  it  is  a  man  like  thee.  But 
when  he  heard  the  words  of  his  wife,  he  said  to  her,  Thou  interest  false- 
hood. How  much  dost  thou  jest?  How  can  it  be  aught  but  a  bird  ?  She 
replied,  By  Allah,  I  jested  not  with  thee,  nor  did  I  tell  thee  any  thing  but 
truth.  Verily  this  bird  is  the  King  Beder  Basim,  the  son  of  the  King 
Shahzeman,  lord  of  the  countries  of  the  Persians,  and  his  mother  is  Gul- 
nare  of  the  Sea.  And  how,  said  he,  hath  he  become  transformed  into  this 
shape?       She  answered  him,  The  Queen  Giohara,  the  daughter  of  the 

Q63 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

King  Samandal,  hath  enchanted  him.  Then  she  related  to  him  what  bad 
happened  to  him  from  first  to  last,  telling  him  that  he  had  demanded  Gio- 
hara  in  marriage  of  her  father,  and  that  her  father  consented  not  thereto, 
and  that  his  maternal  uncle  Saleh  had  fought  with  the  King  Samandal,  and 
that  Saleh  had  overcome  him  and  made  him  a  captive.  And  when  the 
k-injj:  heard  of  the  words  of  his  wife,  he  wondered  extremely.  Now  this 
queen,  his  wife,  was  the  most  skillful  in  enchantment  among  the  people  of 
her  age.  The  king  therefore  said  to  her,  By  my  life,  I  conjure  thee  to 
free  him  from  his  enchantment,  and  not  leave  him  tormented.  May  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  cut  off  the  hand  of  Giohara!  How  vile  is  she, 
and  how  little  is  her  religion,  and  how  great  are  her  deceit  and  her  artifice  ! 
His  wife  replied,  Say  to  him,  O  Beder  Basim,  enter  this  closet.  So  the 
king  ordered  him  to  enter  the  closet ;  and  when  he  heard  the  king's  words 
he  entered  it.  Then  the  wife  of  the  king  arose,  and,  having  veiled  her 
face,  took  in  her  hand  a  cup  of  water  and  entered  the  closet ;  and  she  ut- 
tered over  the  water  some  words  not  to  be  understood,  and  [sprinkling  him 
with  it],  said  to  him,  By  virtue  of  these  great  names,  and  excellent  verses 


The  king's  wife  disenchanting  Beder  Basim. 


[of  the  Koran],  and  by  the  power  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  the 
Creator  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  the  Reviver  of  the  dead,  and  the 
Distributor  of  the  means  of  subsistence  and  the  terms  of  life,  quit  this  form 
in  which  thou  now  art,  and  return  to  the  form  in  which  God  created  thee  ! 
And  her  words  were  not  ended  when  he  shook  violently  and  returned  to 
his  original  form,  whereupon  the  king  beheld  him  a  comely  young  man, 
than  whom  there  was  not  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  one  more  beautiful. 

When  the  King  Beder  Basim  beheld  this  thing,  he  said,  There  is  no 
Deity  but  God  :  Mohammed  is  the  Apostle  of  God  !  Extolled  be  the  per- 
fection of  the  Creator  of  the  creatures,  and  the  Ordainer  of  their  means 
of  subsistence  and  their  terms  of  life  !  Then  he  kissed  the  hands  of  the 
king,  and  prayed  for  long  life  for  him;  and  the  king  kissed  the  head  of  Be- 
der Basim.  and  said  to  him,  O  Beder  Basim,  relate  to  me  thy  story  from 
beginning  to  end.  So  he  related  to  him  his  story,  not  concealing  from  him 
aught ;  and  the  king  wondered  thereat,  and  said  to  him,  O  Beder  Basim, 
264 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

God  hath  delivered  thee  from  the  enchantment ;  what,  then,  doth  thy  good 
pleasure  demand,  and  what  dost  thou  desire  to  do?  He  answered  him,  O 
king  of  the  age,  I  desire  of  thy  beneficence  that  thou  wouldst  prepare  for 
me  a  ship,  and  a  company  of  thy  servants,  and  all  that  I  require ;  for  I 
have  been  absent  a  long  time,  and  I  fear  that  the  empire  may  depart  from 
me.  Moreover,  I  imagine  not  that  my  mother  is  alive,  on  account  of  my 
separation.  What  seems  most  probable  to  me  is,  that  she  hath  died  in 
consequence  of  her  mourning  for  me ;  since  she  knoweth  not  what  hath 
happened  to  me,  nor  whether  I  be  living  or  dead.  I  therefore  beg  thee,  O 
king,  to  complete  thy  beneficence  to  me  by  granting  that  which  I  have  re- 
quested of  thee.  And  when  the  king  considered  his  beauty  and  loveliness, 
and  his  eloquence,  he  replied,  and  said  to  him,  I  hear  and  obey.  He  then 
prepared  for  him  a  ship,  transported  to  it  what  he  required,  and  dispatched 
with  him  a  company  of  his  servants.  So  he  embarked  in  the  ship,  after  he 
had  bidden  farewell  to  the  king,  and  they  proceeded  over  the  sea. 

The  wind  aided  them,  and  they  ceased  not  to  proceed  for  ten  days  suc- 
cessively;  but  on  the  eleventh  day  the  sea  became  violently  agitated,  the 
ship  began  to  rise  and  pitch,  and  the  sailors  were  unable  to  manage  her. 
They  continued  in  this  state,  the  waves  sporting  with  them,  until  they 
drew  near  to  one  of  the  rocks  of  the  sea,  and  the  ship  fell  upon  that  rock 
and  went  to  pieces,  and  all  who  were  in  her  were  drowned,  excepting  the 
King  Beder  Basim  ;  for  he  mounted  upon  one  of  the  planks,  after  he  had 
been  at  the  point  of  destruction.  The  plank  ceased  not  to  bear  him  along 
the  sea,  and  he  knew  not  whither  he  was  going,  nor  had  he  any  means  of 
checking  the  motion  of  the  plank  :  it  carried  him  with  the  water  and  the 
wind,  and  continued  to  do  so  for  a  period  of  three  days.  But  on  the  fourth 
day  the  plank  was  cast  with  him  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea,  and  he  found 
there  a  city,  white  as  a  very  white  pigeon,  built  upon  an  island  by  the 
shore  of  the  sea,  with  lofty  angles,  beautiful  in  construction,  with  high 
walls,  and  the  sea  beat  against  its  walls.  So  when  the  King  Beder  Basim 
beheld  the  island  upon  which  was  this  city,  he  rejoiced  greatly  ;  and  he 
had  been  at  the  point  of  destruction  by  reason  of  hunger  and  thirst.  He 
therefore  landed  from  the  plank  and  desired  to  go  up  to  the  city;  but  there 
came  to  him  mules,  and  asses,  and  horses,  numerous  as  the  grains  of  sand, 
and  they  began  to  strike  him,  and  to  prevent  his  going  up  from  the  sea  to 
the  city.  So  he  swam  round  behind  that  city  and  landed  upon  the  shore, 
and  he  found  not  there  any  one  ;  wherefore  he  wondered,  and  said,  To 
whom  doth  this  city  belong,  not  having  a  king  nor  any  one  in  it,  and 
whence  are  these  mules,  and  asses,  and  horses  that  prevented  me  from 
landing?  And  he  proceeded  to  meditate  upon  his  case  as  he  walked  along, 
not  knowing  whither  to  go. 

Then,  after  that,  he  saw  a  sheikh,  a  grocer;  and  when  the  King  Beder 
Basim  saw  him  he  saluted  him  ;  and  the  sheikh  returned  the  salutation, 
and,  looking  at  him,  saw  him  to  be  a  comely  person  :  so  he  said  to  him,  O 
young  man,  whence  hast  thou  come,  and  what  brought  thee  to  this  city  ? 
He  therefore  related  to  him  his  story  from  beginning  to  end;  and  he  won- 
dered at  it,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  didst  thou  not  see  any  one  in  thy 
way  ?  He  answered  him,  O  my  father,  I  only  wonder  at  this  city,  seeing 
that  it  is  devoid  of  people.  And  the  sheikh  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  come 
up  into  the  shop,  lest  thou  perish.  So  Beder  Basim  went  up  and  seated 
himself  in  the  shop.     And  the  sheikh  arose  and  brought  him  some  food. 

Vol.  IT.— M  265 


STORY  OF  BEDEE  BASIM  AND  GIOHAEA. 


Beder  Basim  arnviug  at  the  city  of  the  enchanters. 

saying  to  him,  O  my  son,  come  into  the  inner  part  of  the  shop.  Extolled 
be  the  perfection  of  Him  who  hath  preserved  thee  from  this  she-devil ! 
The  King  Beder  Basim  therefore  feared  violently.  He  then  ate  of  the 
food  of  the  sheikh  until  he  was  satisfied,  and  washed  his  hands,  and,  look- 
ing at  the  sheikh,  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  what  is  the  reason  of  these 
words  ?  For  thou  hast  made  me  to  be  frightened  at  this  city  and  its  peo- 
ple. And  the  sheikh  answered  him,  O  my  son,  know  that  this  city  is  the 
City  of  the  Enchanters,  and  in  it  is  a  queen  who  is  an  enchantress  like  a 
she-devil ;  she  is  a  sorcerer,  a  great  enchanter,  abounding  in  artifice,  ex- 
ceedingly treacherous,  and  the  horses,  and  mules,  and  asses  that  thou  saw- 
est,  all  these  are,  like  me  and  thee,  of  the  sons  of  Adam;  but  they  are 
strangers  ;  for  whoever  entereth  this  city,  and  is  a  young  man  like  thyself, 
this  infidel  enchantress  taketh  him,  and  she  remaineth  with  him  forty  days, 
and  after  the  forty  days  she  enchanteth  him,  and  he  becometh  a  mule,  or 
a  horse,  or  an  ass,  of  these  animals  that  thou  hast  seen  upon  the  shore  of 
the  sea.  Therefore,  when  thou  desiredst  to  land,  they  feared  for  thee  lest 
she  should  enchant  thee  like  them,  and  they  said  to  thee  by  signs.  Land 
not,  lest  the  enchantress  see  thee — in  pity  for  thee  ;  for  perhaps  she  might 
do  unto  thee  as  she  did  unto  them.  And  he  said  to  him,  She  got  posses- 
sion of  this  city  from  her  family  by  enchantment;  and  her  name  is  the 
Queen  Labe  ;  the  meaning  of  which  is  the  sun. 

Now  when  the  King  Beder  Basim  heard  these  words  from  the  sheikh, 
266 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

he  feared  violently,  and  began  to  tremble  like  the  reed  that  is  shaken  by  the 
wind  ;  and  he  said  to  him,  1  believed  not  that  I  had  escaped  from  the  ca- 
lamity in  which  I  was  involved  by  enchantment,  and  now  destiny  casteth 
me  into  a  situation  more  abominable  than  that!  And  he  proceeded  to  re- 
flect upon  his  case,  and  upon  the  events  that  had  happened  to  him  ;  and 
when  the  sheikh  looked  at  him,  he  saw  that  his  fear  was  violent;  so  he 
said  to  him,  O  my  son,  arise  and  sit  at  the  threshold  of  the  shop,  and  look 
at  those  creatures,  and  at  their  dress,  and  their  forms,  and  the  states  in 
which  they  are  through  enchantment ;  but  fear  not ;  for  the  queen,  and 
every  one  in  the  city,  loveth  me  and  regardeth  me,  and  agitateth  not  my 
heart,  nor  wearieth  my  mind.  Therefore,  when  the  King  Beder  Basim 
heard  these  words  of  the  sheikh,  he  went  forth  and  sat  at  the  door  of  the 
shop,  diverting  himself;  and  there  passed  by  him  people,  and  he  beheld 
creatures  not  to  be  numbered.  And  when  the  people  saw  him,  they  ad- 
vanced to  the  sheikh,  and  said  to  him,  O  sheikh,  is  this  thy  captive,  and  a 
prey  that  thou  hast  taken  during  these  days  ?  But  he  answered  them, 
This  is  the  son  of  my  brother.  I  heard  that  his  father  had  died  :  so  I  sent 
for  him,  and  caused  him  to  come,  that  I  might  quench  the  fire  of  my  desire 
by  his  company.  They  replied,  Verily  this  young  man  is  a  comely  youth  ; 
but  we  fear  for  him  on  account  of  the  Queen  Labe,  lest  she  turn  upon  thee 
with  treachery  and  take  him  from  thee ;  for  she  loveth  the  comely  young 
men.  The  sheikh,  however,  said  to  them,  Verily  the  queen  will  not  thwart 
me  ;  she  regardeth  me  favorably,  and  loveth  me ;  and  when  she  knoweth 
that  he  is  the  son  of  my  brother,  she  will  not  offer  him  any  injury,  nor 
afflict  me  with  respect  to  him,  nor  trouble  my  heart  on  his  account.  And 
the  King  Beder  Basim  remained  with  the  sheikh  for  a  period  of  months, 
eating  and  drinking,  and  the  sheikh  loved  him  greatly. 

After  this  Beder  Basim  was  sitting  at  the  shop  of  the  sheikh  one  day,  as 
was  his  custom,  and  lo,  a  thousand  eunuchs,  with  drawn  swords  in  their 
hands,  clad  in  various  kinds  of  apparel,  having  upon  their  waists  girdles 
adorned  with  jewels,  riding  upon  Arab  horses,  and  equipped  with  Indian 
swords ;  and  they  came  to  the  shop  of  the  sheikh  and  saluted  him,  and 
passed  on.  Then,  after  them,  came  a  thousand  damsels,  like  moons,  clad 
in  various  dresses  of  silk  and  satin  embroidered  with  gold,  and  adorned  with 
varieties  of  jewels,  and  all  of  them  were  armed  with  spears,  and  in  the 
midst  of  them  was  a  damsel  riding  upon  an  Arab  mare,  upon  which  was  a 
saddle  of  gold  set  with  varieties  of  jewels  and  jacinths.  They  ceased  not 
to  proceed  until  they  arrived  at  the  shop  of  the  sheikh,  when  they  saluted 
him  and  passed  on.  And  lo,  the  Queen  Labe  approached  in  a  magnificent 
procession,  and  she  ceased  not  to  approach  until  she  came  to  the  shop  of 
the  sheikh;  whereupon  she  saw  the  King  Beder  Basim  sitting  at  the  shop, 
resembling  the  moon  at  the  full.  So  when  the  Queen  Labe  beheld  him, 
she  was  confounded  at  his  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  amazed,  and  she  be- 
came distracted  with  love  of  him.  She  came  to  the  shop  and  alighted, 
and,  having  seated  herself  by  the  King  Beder  Basim,  she  said  to  the 
sheikh,  Whence  obtainedst  thou  this  comely  person  ?  He  answered,  This 
is  the  son  of  my  brother  :  he  came  to  me  a  short  time  ago.  And  she  said, 
Let  him  be  with  me  to-night,  that  I  may  converse  with  him.  The  sheikh 
said  to  her.  Wilt  thou  take  him  from  me  and  not  enchant  him  ?  She  an- 
swered,  Vis.  lit:  said,  Swear  to  me.  And  she  swore  to  him  that  she 
would  not  hurt  him  nor  enchant  him.     Then  she  gave  orders  to  bring  for- 

267 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

wai'd  to  him  a  handsome  horse,  saddled,  and  bridled  with  a  bridle  of  gold, 
and  all  that  was  upon  him  was  of  gold  set  with  jewels  ;  and  she  presented 
to  the  sheikh  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  saying  to  him,  Seek  aid  for  thy- 
self therewith.  The  Queen  Labe  then  took  the  King  Beder  Basim  and 
departed  with  him  ;  and  he  was  like  the  moon  in  its  fourteenth  night.  He 
proceeded  with  her ;  and  the  people,  as  often  as  they  looked  at  him  and 
observed  his  beauty,  were  pained  for  him,  and  said,  By  Allah,  this  young 
man  doth  not  deserve  that  this  accursed  woman  should  enchant  him.  And 
the  King  Beder  Basim  heard  the  words  of  the  people  ;  but  he  was  silent, 
and  had  committed  his  case  to  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  ! 

He  ceased  not  to  proceed  with  the  Queen  Labe  and  her  retinue  until 
they  arrived  at  the  gate  of  the  palace ;  when  the  emirs,  and  eunuchs,  and 
the  great  men  of  the  empire  alighted.     She  had  commanded  the  chamber- 
lains to  order  all  the  great  men  of  the  empire  to  depart :  so  they  kissed  the 
ground  and  departed.     And  the  queen,  with  the  eunuchs  and  the  female 
slaves,  entered  the  palace;  and  when  the  King  Beder  Basim  looked  at  the 
palace,  he  beheld  a  palace  of  which  he  had  never  seen  the  like.     Its  walls 
were  constructed  of  gold,  and  in  the  midst  of  it  was  a  great  pool,  abound- 
ing with  water,  in  a  great  garden  ;   and  the  King  Beder  Basim  looked  at 
the  garden,  and  saw  in  it  birds  warbling  with  all  varieties  of  tongues  and 
voices,  mirth-exciting  and  plaintive,  and  those  birds  were  of  all  forms  and 
colors.     The  King  Beder  Basim  beheld  great  majesty,  and  he  said,  Ex- 
tolled be  the  perfection  of  God  for  his  bounty  and  his  clemency  !     He  sus- 
taineth  the  person  who  worshipeth  other  than  Himself!     The  queen  seat- 
ed herself  at  a  lattice-window  overlooking  the  garden.     She  was  on  a  couch 
of  ivory,  upon  which  was  magnificent  furniture;  and  the  King  Beder  Ba- 
sim sat  by  her  side ;  and  she  kissed  him,  and  pressed  him  to  her  bosom. 
Then  she  ordered  the  female  slaves  to  bring  a  table  ;  whereupon  there  was 
brought  a  table  of  red  gold  set  with  large  pearls  and  with  jewels,  and  upon 
it  were  dishes  of  all  kinds  of  viands.     So  they  ate  until  they  were  satisfied, 
and  washed  their  hands.     The  female  slaves  next  brought  vessels  of  gold, 
and  silver,  and  crystal,  and  they  brought  also  all  kinds  of  flowers,  and  plates 
of  dried  fruits ;  after  which  the  queen  gave  orders  to  bring  singing-wom- 
en ;  and  there  came  ten  damsels  like  moons,  with  all  kinds  of  musical  in- 
struments in  their  hands.     Then  the  queen  filled  a  cup,  and  drank  it ;  and 
she  filled  another,  and  handed  it  to  the  King  Beder  Basim,  who  took  it  and 
drank  it;  and  they  ceased  not  to  do  thus,  drinking  until  they  were  satisfied  ; 
when  the  queen  ordered  the  female  slaves  to  sing.     So  they  sang  all  kinds 
of  melodies,  and  it  seemed  to  the  King  Beder  Basim  as  though  the  palace 
danced  with  delight  at  the  sounds.     His  reason  was  captivated,  and  his 
bosom  was  dilated,  and  he  forgot  his  estrangement  from  his  country,  and 
said,  Verily  this  queen  is  a  comely  damsel !     I  will  never  henceforth  quit 
her;  for  her  kingdom  is  larger  than  mine,  and  she  is  preferable  to  the 
Queen  Giohara.     He  ceased  not  to  drink  with  her  until  it  was  evening, 
and  the  lamps  and  candles  were  lighted,  and  the  attendants  gave  vent  to  the 
fumes  of  the  sweet-scented  substances  in  the  censers ;  and  they  gave  not 
over  drinking  until  they  were  both  intoxicated,  while  the  female  singers  con- 
tinued singing.     And  when  the  Queen  Labe  was  intoxicated,  she  arose 
f7-om  her  place,  and  slept  upon  her  couch,  having  commanded  the  female 
slaves  to  depart ;  and  she  ordered  the  King  Beder  Basim  to  lie  down  by 
her  side.     Then,  on  the  following  morning,  she  entered  the  bath  in  the 
268 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 


Queen  Labe  and  Beder  Basim  reclining  at  a  window. 

palace,  and  he  did  the  same  :  and  when  they  had  come  forth,  she  caused 
him  to  be  clad  in  the  most  beautiful  apparel,  and  gave  orders  to  bring  the 
drinking  vessels.  Accordingly,  the  female  slaves  brought  them,  and  tliey 
drank ;  after  which  the  queen  arose  and  took  the  hand  of  the  King  Beder 
Basim,  and  they  sat  upon  the  throne,  and  she  gave  orders  to  bring  the 
food  :  so  they  ate,  and  washed  their  hands.  The  female  slaves  then 
brought  to  them  the  drinking  vessels,  and  the  fresh  fruits,  and  the  flowers, 
and  the  dried  fruits;  and  they  ceased  not  to  eat  and  drink,  while  the  fe- 
male slaves  sang  various  melodies,  till  evening. 

They  continued  eating,  and  drinking,  and  delighting  themselves  for  a 
period  of  forty  days ;  after  which  she  said  to  him,  O  Beder  Basim,  is  this 
place  the  more  pleasant,  or  the  shop  of  thine  uncle  the  grocer  7  He  an- 
swered her,  By  Allah,  O  queen,  this  is  pleasant ;  for  my  uncle  is  a  poor 

269 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

man  who  selleth  beans.  And  she  laughed  at  his  words.  Then  they  slept ; 
but  in  the  morning  the  King  Beder  Basim  awoke  from  his  sleep  and  found 
not  the  Queen  Labe  by  his  side  :  so  he  said,  Whither  can  she  have  gone  1 
He  became  sad  on  account  of  her  absence,  and  perplexed  respecting  his 
case ;  and  she  had  been  absent  from  him  a  long  time,  and  not  returned ; 
wherefore  he  said  within  himself,  Whither  hath  she  gone  ?  He  then  put 
on  his  clothes  and  proceeded  to  search  for  her;  but  he  found  her  not; 
and  he  said  within  himself,  Perhaps  she  hath  gone  to  the  garden.  He 
therefore  went  to  the  garden,  and  he  saw  in  it  a  running  river,  by  the  side 
of  which  was  a  white  bird,  and  on  the  bank  of  that  river  was  a  tree, 
whereou  were  birds  of  various  colors.  So  he  looked  at  the  birds ;  but 
they  saw  him  not ;  and  lo,  a  black  bird  alighted  by  that  white  bird,  and  be- 
gan to  feed  her  with  his  bill  like  a  pigeon  ;  and  after  a  while  the  latter  bird 
became  changed  into  a  human  form,  at  which  he  looked  attentively,  and 
lo,  she  was  the  Queen  Labe.  He  therefore  knew  that  the  black  bird  was 
an  enchanted  man,  and  that  she  loved  him,  and  for  that  reason  transformed 
herself  by  enchantment  into  a  bird ;  in  consequence  of  which,  jealousy 
seized  him,  and  he  was  incensed  against  the  Queen  Labe,  on  account  of 
the  black  bird.  Then  he  returned  to  his  place  and  laid  himself  upon  his  bed  ; 
and  after  a  while  she  returned  to  him,  and  began  to  kiss  him  and  to  jest 
with  him  ;  but  he  was  violently  incensed  against  her,  and  uttered  not  to  her 
a  single  word.  So  she  knew  what  he  felt,  and  was  convinced  that  he  saw 
her  when  she  became  a  bird.  She,  however,  did  not  manifest  to  him  any 
thing,  but  concealed  her  feelings. 

After  this  he  said  to  her,  O  queen,  I  desire  thee  to  permit  me  to  go  to 
the  shop  of  my  uncle  ;  for  I  have  conceived  a  desire  to  visit  him,  and  for 
forty  days  I  have  not  seen  him.  And  she  replied,  Go  to  him;  but  be  not 
long  absent  from  me,  since  I  can  not  part  with  thee,  nor  endure  to  be  away 
from  thee  for  one  hour.  So  he  said  to  her,  I  hear  and  obey.  He  then 
mounted,  and  went  to  the  shop  of  the  sheikh,  the  grocer,  who  welcomed 
him,  and  rose  to  him  and  embraced  him,  and  said  to  him,  How  art  thou 
with  this  infidel  woman  ?  He  therefore  answered  him,  I  was  well  in  pros- 
perity and  health ;  but  she  was  this  last  night  sleeping  by  my  side,  and  I 
awoke  and  saw  her  not.  So  I  put  on  my  clothes,  and  went  about  search- 
ing for  her  until  I  came  to  the  garden.  And  he  informed  him  of  that  which 
he  had  seen,  of  the  river,  and  the  birds  upon  the  tree.  And  when  the 
sheikh  heard  his  words,  he  said  to  him,  Beware  of  her,  and  know  that  the 
birds  that  were  upon  the  tree  were  all  young  men,  strangers,  whom  she 
loved,  and  she  transformed  them  by  enchantment  into  birds  ;  and  that  black 
bird  that  thou  sawest  was  of  the  number  of  her  mamlouks.  She  used  to 
love  him  greatly  ;  but  he  cast  his  eye  upon  one  of  the  female  slaves ;  so 
she  transformed  him  by  enchantment  into  a  black  bird  ;  and  whenever  she 
desireth  to  visit  him,  she  transformeth  hei-self  by  enchantment  into  a  bird  ; 
for  she  still  loveth  him  greatly.  And  when  she  knew  that  thou  wast  ac- 
quainted with  her  case,  she  meditated  evil  against  thee ;  and  she  doth  not 
offer  thee  a  sincere  affection.  But  thou  shalt  suffer  no  harm  from  her  as 
long  as  I  have  a  care  for  thee  ;  therefore  fear  not ;  for  I  am  a  Mohammed- 
an, and  my  name  is  Abdallah,  and  there  is  not  in  my  age  any  one  more 
skilled  in  enchantment  than  I :  yet  I  make  not  use  of  enchantment  save 
when  I  am  constrained  to  do  so.  Often  do  I  annul  the  enchantment  of  this 
accursed  woman,  and  deliver  people  from  her ;  and  I  care  not  for  her, 
270 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

since  she  hath  do  way  of  injuring  me  ;  on  the  contrary,  she  feareth  me 
violently,  as  also  doth  every  one  in  the  city  who  is  an  enchanter  like  her, 
after  this  manner:  they  all  fear  me,  and  all  of  them  are  of  her  religion, 
worshiping  fire  instead  of  the  Almighty  King.  But  to-morrow  come  to 
me  again,  and  acquaint  me  with  that  which  she  shall  do  to  thee ;  for  this 
night  she  will  exert  herself  to  destroy  thee,  and  I  will  tell  thee  what  thou 
shalt  do  with  her  that  thou  mayest  save  thyself  from  her  artifice. 

Then  the  King  Beder  Basim  bade  farewell  to  the  sheikh,  and  returned 
to  her,  and  found  her  sitting  expecting  him.  And  when  she  saw  him,  she 
rose  to  him  and  seated  him,  welcoming  him ;  and  she  brought  him  food 
and  drink.  So  they  ate  until  they  were  satisfied,  and  washed  their  hands  ; 
after  which  she  gave  orders  to  bring  the  wine.  It  was  therefore  brought, 
and  they  drank  until  midnight,  when  she  served  him  with  the  cups,  and 
she  continued  to  ply  him  until  he  was  intoxicated,  and  lost  his  sense  and 
his  reason.  And  when  she  saw  him  in  this  state,  she  said  to  him,  By  Al- 
lah I  conjure  thee,  and  by  the  Object  of  thy  worship,  if  I  ask  thee  con- 
cerning a  thing,  tell  me,  wilt  thou  inform  me  thereof  truly,  and  reply  to  my 
question  ?  So  he  answered  her,  being  in  a  state  of  intoxication,  Yes,  O 
my  mistress.  And  she  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  and  light  of  my  eye, 
when  thou  awokest  from  thy  sleep,  and  found  me  not,  thou  searchedst  for 
me,  and  earnest  to  me  in  the  garden,  and  sawest  the  black  bird.  Now  I 
will  acquaint  thee  with  the  truth  of  the  case  of  this  bird.  He  was  one  of 
my  mamlouks,  and  I  loved  him  greatly ;  but  he  cast  his  eye  one  day  upon 
one  of  my  female  slaves;  so  jealousy  came  upon  me,  and  I  transformed 
him  by  enchantment  into  a  black  bird.  And  as  to  the  slave  girl,  I  killed 
her.  But  now  I  can  not  bear  to  be  absent  from  him  one  hour;  and  when- 
ever I  desire  to  visit  him,  I  transform  myself  by  enchantment  into  a  bird, 
and  go  to  him.  Art  thou  not  on  this  account  incensed  against  me.  although 
I,  by  the  fire,  and  the  light,  and  the  shade,  and  the  heat,  have  increased  in 
love  for  thee,  and  made  thee  my  worldly  portion?  So  he  said,  being  in- 
toxicated, Verily  what  thou  hast  understood,  as  to  my  anger  being  on  that 
account,  is  true  ;  and  there  is  no  cause  for  my  anger  excepting  that.  And 
she  embraced  him  and  kissed  him,  and  made  a  show  of  love  to  him;  after 
which  she  slept,  and  he  slept  by  her  side.  And  when  it  was  midnight,  she 
rose  from  the  bed:  and  the  King  Beder  Basim  was  awake;  but  he  pre- 
tended that  he  was  asleep,  and  kept  stealing  looks,  and  observing  what  she 
did  ;  and  he  found  that  she  had  taken  forth  from  a  red  bag  something  red, 
which  she  planted  in  the  midst  of  the  palace  ;  and  lo,  it  became  a  stream 
running  like  a  large  river.  She  then  took  a  handful  of  barley,  scattered  it 
upon  the  dust,  and  watered  it  with  this  water;  whereupon  it  became  eared 
corn  ;  and  she  took  it  and  ground  it  into  fine  flour,  after  which  she  put  it 
in  a  place,  aud  returned  and  slept  by  Beder  Basim  until  the  morning. 

So  when  the  morning  came,  the  King  Beder  Basim  arose,  and,  having 
washed  his  face,  asked  permission  of  the  queen  to  go  to  the  sheikh ;  and 
she  gave  him  permission.  He  therefore  repaired  to  the  sheikh,  and  ac- 
quainted him  with  that  which  she  had  done,  and  what  he  had  beheld  ;  and 
when  the  sheikh  heard  his  words,  he  laughed,  and  said,  By  Allah,  this 
infidel  enchantress  hath  formed  a  mischievous  scheme  against  thee  ;  but 
never  care  thou  for  her.  He  then  produced  to  him  as  much  as  a  pound  of 
barley-meal,  and  said  to  him,  Take  this  with  thee,  and  know  that  when  she 
seeth  it  she  will  say  to  thee,  What  is  this,  and  what  wilt  thou  do  with  it? 

271 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 


CAueen  Labe  performing  the  incantation. 


Answer  her,  A  superfluity  of  good  things  is  good ;  and  do  thou  eat  of  it. 
And  when  she  produceth  her  meal,  and  saith  to  thee,  Eat  of  this  flour, 
pretend  to  her  that  thou  eatest  of  it,  but  eat  of  this,  and  beware  of  eating 
aught  of  her  bailey,  even  one  grain;  foi  if  thou  eat  of  it  even  one  grain, 
her  enchantment  will  have  power  over  thee,  and  she  will  enchant  thee, 
saying  to  thee,  Quit  this  human  form.  So  thou  wilt  quit  thy  form,  and 
assume  whatsoever  form  she  desireth.  But  if  thou  eat  not  of  it,  her  en- 
chantment will  be  frustrated,  and  no  harm  will  result  to  thee  from  it ; 
wherefore  she  will  become  in  a  state  of  the  utmost  abashment,  and  will 
say  to  thee,  I  am  only  jesting  with  thee.  And  she  will  make  profession  of 
love  and  affection  to  thee ;  but  all  that  will  be  hypocrisy  and  artifice  in  her. 
Do  thou,  however,  make  a  show  of  love  to  her,  and  say  to  her,  O  my 
mistress,  and  O  light  of  my  eye,  eat  of  this  meal,  and  see  how  delicious 
it  is.  And  when  she  hath  eaten  of  it,  if  only  one  grain,  take  some  water 
in  thy  hand,  and  throw  it  in  her  face,  and  say  to  her,  Quit  this  human 
form  ;  and  tell  her  to  assume  whatsoever  form  thou  desirest.     Thereupon 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

leave  her,  and  come  to  me,  that  I  may  contrive  for  thee  a  mode  of  pro- 
ceeding. 

Beder  Basim  then  bade  him  farewell,  and  pursued  his  way  until  he 
went  up  into  the  palace  and  entered  into  her  presence  ;  and  when  she  saw 
him,  she  said  to  him,  A  friendly,  and  free,  and  ample  welcome  !  She 
arose  to  him  and  kissed  him,  and  said  to  him,  Thou  hast  wearied  me  by 
thy  delay,  O  my  master.  He  replied,  I  was  with  my  uncle.  And  he 
saw  with  her  some  flour,  and  said  to  her,  And  my  uncle  hath  given  me  to 
eat  of  this  flour,  and  we  have  flour  better  than  it.  Then  she  put  his  flour 
into  a  dish,  and  hers  into  another,  and  said  to  him,  Eat  of  this,  for  it  is 
nicer  than  thy  flour.  So  he  pretended  to  her  that  he  ate  of  it ;  and  when 
she  believed  that  he  had  eaten  of  it,  she  took  in  her  hand  some  water,  and 
sprinkled  him  with  it,  and  said  to  him,  Quit  this  form,  O  young  wretch,  O 
villain,  and  assume  the  form  of  a  one-eyed  mule  of  hideous  appearance ! 
But  he  changed  not.  So  when  she  saw  him  in  his  proper  state,  unchanged, 
she  rose  to  him  and  kissed  him  between  the  eyes,  and  said  to  him,  O  my 
beloved,  I  was  only  jesting  with  thee ;  therefore  be  not  changed  in  mind 
toward  me  on  that  account.  And  he  replied,  By  Allah,  O  my  mistress,  I 
am  not  at  all  changed  toward  thee ;  but  I  am  convinced  that  thou  lovest 
me  :  eat  then  of  this  my  flour.  She  therefore  took  a  morsel  of  it,  and  ate 
it ;  and  when  it  had  settled  in  her  stomach,  she  was  agitated  ;  and  the  King 
Beder  Basim,  having  taken  some  water  in  his  hand,  sprinkled  her  with  it 
upon  her  face,  saying  to  her,  Quit  this  human  form,  and  assume  the  form 
of  a  dapple  mule.  And  she  saw  not  herself  save  in  that  form  ;  whereupon 
her  tears  began  to  run  down  upon  her  cheeks,  and  she  rubbed  her  cheeks 
upon  his  feet.  He  then  betook  himself  to  bridle  her ;  but  she  allowed  not 
the  bridle  to  be  put.  He  therefore  left  her,  and  repaired  to  the  sheikh, 
and  acquainted  him  with  what  had  happened  ;  upon  which  the  sheikh 
arose  and  produced  to  him  a  bridle,  and  said  to  him,  Take  this  bridle,  and 
bridle  her  with  it.  So  he  took  it  and  went  to  her ;  and  when  she  saw  him 
she  advanced  to  him,  and  he  put  the  bit  in  her  mouth,  and,  having  mount- 
ed her,  went  forth  from  the  palace,  and  repaired  to  the  Sheikh  Abdallah, 
who,  on  seeing  her,  rose  to  her,  and  said  to  her,  May  God  (whose  name 
be  exalted  !)  abase  thee  by  affliction,  O  accursed  woman  !  Then  the  sheikh 
said  to  Beder  Basim,  O  my  son,  thou  hast  no  longer  an  abode  in  this  city  ; 
so  mount  her,  and  proceed  with  her  to  whatsoever  place  thou  wilt,  and  be- 
ware of  giving  up  the  bridle  to  any  one.  The  King  Beder  Basim  there- 
fore thanked  him,  and  bade  him  farewell,  and  departed. 

He  ceased  not  in  his  journey  for  three  days  ;  after  which  he  came  in  sight 
of  a  city,  and  there  met  him  a  sheikh,  of  comely  hoariness,  who  said  to 
him,  O  my  son,  whence  art  thou  come  ?  He  answered,  From  the  city  of 
this  enchantress.  The  sheikh  then  said  to  him,  Thou  art  my  guest  this 
night.  And  he  consented,  and  proceeded  with  him  along  the  way.  And 
lo,  there  was  an  old  woman,  who,  when  she  saw  the  mule,  wept,  and  said, 
There  is  no  deity  but  God  !  Verily  this  mule  resembleth  the  mule  of  my 
son,  which  hath  died,  and  my  heart  is  troubled  for  her.  I  conjure  thee  by 
Allah,  then,  O  my  master,  that  thou  sell  her  to  me.  He  replied,  By  Al- 
lah, O  my  mother,  I  can  not  sell  her.  But  she  rejoined,  I  conjure  thee  by 
Allah  that  thou  reject  not  my  petition ;  for  my  son,  if  I  buy  not  for  him 
this  mule,  will  inevitably  die.  Then  she  urged  her  request  in  many 
words ;  whereupon  he  said,  I  will  not  sell  her  but  for  a  thousand  pieces  of 
M*  273 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BAS1M  AND  GIOHARA. 


The  Sheikh. 


gold.  And  Beder  Basim  said  within  himself,  How  can  this  old  woman 
procure  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold  ?  But  upon  this  she  took  forth  from  her 
girdle  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  So  when  the  King  Beder  Basim  saw 
this,  he  said  to  her,  O  my  mother,  I  am  only  jesting  with  thee,  and  I  can 
not  sell  her.  The  sheikh,  however,  looked  at  him  and  said  to  him,  O  my 
son,  no  one  may  utter  a  falsehood  in  this  city ;  for  every  one  who  uttereth 
a  falsehood  in  this  city  they  slay.  The  King  Beder  Basim  therefore 
alighted  from  the  mule  and  delivered  her  to  the  old  woman ;  and  she  drew 
forth  the  bit  from  her  mouth,  and,  having  taken  some  water  in  her  hand, 
sprinkled  her  with  it,  and  said,  O  my  daughter,  quit  this  form,  and  return 
to  the  form  in  which  thou  wast !  And  she  was  transformed  immediately, 
and  returned  to  her  first  shape ;  and  each  of  the  two  women  approached 
the  other,  and  they  embraced  one  another. 

So  the  King  Beder  Basim  knew  that  this  old  woman  was  the  mother  of 
the  queen,  and  that  the  stratagem  had  been  accomplished  against  him,  and 
he  desired  to  flee.  But,  lo,  the  old  woman  uttered  a  loud  whistle  ;  where- 
upon there  presented  himself  before  her  an  Afrite  like  a  great  mountain; 
and  the  King  Beder  Basim  feared,  and  stood  still.  The  old  woman  mount- 
ed upon  his  back,  took  her  daughter  behind  her,  and  the  King  Beder  Ba- 
sim before  her,  and  the  Afrite  flew  away  with  them,  and  there  elapsed  but 
274 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM   AND  GIOHARA. 

a  short  time  before  they  arrived  at  the  palace  of  the  Queen  Labe,  after 
which,  when  she  had  seated  herself  upon  the  throne  of  her  kingdom,  she 
looked  at  the  King  Beder  Basils,  and  said  to  him,  O  young  wretch,  I  have 
arrived  at  this  place,  and  attained  what  I  desired,  and  I  will  show  thee 
what  I  will  do  with  thee  and  with  this  sheikh,  the  grocer.  How  many 
benefits  have  1  conferred  upon  him,  and  he  doth  evil  unto  me  !  And  thou 
hadst  not  attained  thy  desire  but  by  his  means.  Then  she  took  some  wa- 
ter and  sprinkled  him  with  it,  saying  to  him,  Quit  this  form  in  which  thou 
now  art,  and  assume  the  form  of  a  bird  of  hideous  appearance,  the  most 
hideous  of  birds!  And  he  was  transformed  immediately,  and  became  a 
bird  of  hideous  appearance  ;  upon  which  she  put  him  into  a  cage,  and  with- 
held from  him  food  and  drink. 

But  a  slave  girl  looked  at  him,  and  had  compassion  on  him,  and  she  fed 
him,  and  gave  him  to  drink,  without  the  knowledge  of  the  queen.  Then 
the  slave  girl  found  her  mistress  inadvertent  one  day,  and  she  went  forth 
and  repaired  to  the  sheikh,  the  grocer,  and  acquainted  him  with  the  case, 
saying  to  him,  The  Queen  Labe  is  resolved  upon  the  destruction  of  the  son 
of  thy  brother.  So  the  sheikh  thanked  her,  and  said  to  her,  I  must  surely 
take  the  city  from  her,  and  make  thee  queen  in  her  stead.  He  then  ut- 
tered a  loud  whistle,  and  there  came  forth  to  him  an  Afrite  who  had  four 
wings,  and  he  said  to  him,  Take  this  slave  girl,  and  convey  her  to  the  city 
of  Gulnare  of  the  Sea,  and  to  her  mother  Farashah ;  for  they  two  are  the 
most  skillful  in  enchantment  of  all  existing  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 
And  lie  said  to  the  slave  girl,  When  thou  hast  arrived  there,  inform  them 
that  the  King  Beder  Basim  is  a  captive  in  the  hands  of  the  Queen  Labe. 
The  Afrite  therefore  took  her  up  and  flew  away  with  her,  and  but  a  short 
time  had  elapsed  when  he  alighted  with  her  upon  the  palace  of  the  Queen 
Gulnare  of  the  Sea.  So  the  slave  girl  descended  from  the  roof  of  the  pal- 
ace, and,  going  in  to  the  Queen  Gulnare,  kissed  the  ground,  and  acquaint- 
ed her  with  the  events  that  had  happened  to  her  son  from  first  to  last ;  upon 
which  Gulnare  rose  to  her,  and  treated  her  with  honor,  and  thanked  her. 
The  drums  were  beaten  in  the  city  to  announce  the  good  tidings,  and  she 
informed  her  people,  and  the  great  men  of  her  empire,  that  the  King  Be- 
der Basim  had  been  found. 

After  this,  Gulnare  of  the  Sea,  and  her  mother  Farashah,  and  her  brother 
Saleh,  summoned  all  the  tribes  of  the  Genii,  and  the  troops  of  the  sea;  for 
the  kings  of  the  Genii  had  obeyed  them  after  the  captivity  of  the  King  Sa- 
mandal.  Then  they  flew  through  the  air,  and  alighted  upon  the  city  of 
the  enchantress,  and  they  plundered  the  palace,  and  slew  all  who  were  in 
it.  They  also  plundered  the  city,  and  slew  all  the  infidels  who  were  in  it 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  And  (iulnare  said  to  the  slave  girl,  Where  is 
my  son?  The  slave  girl  therefore  took  the  cage  and  brought  it  before  her, 
and,  pointing  to  the  bird  that  was  within  it,  said,  This  is  thy  son.  So  the 
Queen  Gulnare  took  him  forth  from  the  cage,  and  she  took  in  her  hand 
some  water,  with  which  she  sprinkled  him,  saying  to  him,  Quit  this  form, 
and  assume  the  form  in  which  thou  wast !  And  her  words  were  not  ended 
when  he  shook,  and  became  a  man  as  he  was  before  ;  and  when  his  mother 
beheld  him  in  his  original  form,  she  rose  to  him  and  embraced  him,  and 
he  wept  violently,  as  did  also  his  maternal  uncle  Saleh,  and  his  grandmother 
Farashah,  and  the  daughters  of  his  uncle  ;  and  they  began  to  kiss  his  hands 
mill  his  feet.     Then  (iulnare  sent  for  the  Sheikh  Abdallah,  and  thanked  him 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

for  his  kind  conduct  to  her  son ;  and  she  married  him  (the  sheikh)  to  the 
slave  girl  whom  he  had  sent  to  her  with  the  news  of  her  son.  So  he  took 
her  as  his  wife ;  and  Gulnare  made  him  king  of  that  city.  And  she  sum- 
moned those  Mohammedans  who  remained  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city, 
and  made  them  vow  allegiance  to  the  Sheikh  Abdallah,  covenanting  with 
them,  and  making  them  swear  that  they  would  obey  and  serve  him ;  and 
they  said,  We  hear  and  obey. 

They  then  bade  farewell  to  the  Sheikh  Abdallah  and  departed  to  their 
city  ;  and  when  they  entered  their  palace,  the  people  of  their  city  met 
them  with  the  drums  to  celebrate  the  good  news,  and  with  rejoicing.  They 
decorated  the  city  for  three  days,  on  account  of  their  exceeding  joy  at  the 
arrival  of  their  king,  Beder  Basim,  rejoicing  greatly  at  his  return.  And 
after  that  the  King  Beder  Basim  said  to  his  mother,  O  my  mother,  it  re- 
maineth  only  that  I  marry,  and  that  we  all  be  united.  So  she  replied,  O 
my  son,  excellent  is  the  idea  that  thou  hast  formed ;  but  wait  until  we  in- 
quire for  a  person  suitable  to  thee  among  the  daughters  of  the  kings.  And 
his  grandmother  Farashah,  and  the  daughters  of  his  uncle,  and  his  mater- 
nal uncle,  said,  We,  O  Beder  Basim,  will  all  immediately  assist  thee  to  at- 
tain what  thou  desirest.  Then  each  of  those  females  arose  and  went  to 
search  through  the  countries,  and  Gulnare  of  the  Sea  also  sent  her  female 
slaves  upon  the  necks  of  the  Afrites,  saying  to  them,  Leave  not  a  city,  nor 
one  of  the  palaces  of  the  kings,  without  attentively  viewing  all  who  are  in 
it  of  the  beautiful  damsels.  But  when  the  King  Beder  Basim  saw  the 
pains  that  they  were  taking  in  this  affair,  he  said  to  his  mother  Gulnare,  O 
my  mother,  leave  this  affair;  for  none  will  content  me  save  Giohara  the 
daughter  of  the  King  Samandal,  since  she  is  a  jewel,  as  her  name  import- 
eth.  So  his  mother  replied,  I  know  thy  desire.  She  then  sent  immedi- 
ately persons  to  bring  to  her  the  King  Samandal,  and  forthwith  they  brought 
him  before  her;  whereupon  she  sent  to  Beder  Basim;  and  when  he  cam*, 
she  acquainted  him  with  the  arrival  of  the  King  Samandal.  He  therefore 
went  in  to  him ;  and  as  soon  as  the  King  Samandal  saw  him  approaching, 
he  rose  to  him,  and  saluted  him  and  welcomed  him.  Then  the  King  Be- 
der Basim  demanded  of  him  in  marriage  his  daughter  Giohara ;  and  he  re- 
plied, She  is  at  thy  service,  and  she  is  thy  slave  girl,  and  at  thy  disposal. 
And  the  King  Samandal  sent  some  of  his  companions  to  his  country,  cout- 
manding  them  to  bring  his  daughter  Giohara,  and  to  inform  her  that  her 
father  was  with  the  King  Beder  Basim,  the  son  of  Gulnare  of  the  Sea. 
So  they  flew  through  the  air,  and  were  absent  a  while ;  after  which  they 
came  back  accompanied  by  the  Queen  Giohara,  who,  when  she  beheld 
her  father,  advanced  to  him  and  embraced  him.  And  he  looked  at  her  and 
said,  O  my  daughter,  know  that  I  have  married  thee  to  this  magnanimous 
king,  and  bold  lion,  the  King  Beder  Basim,  the  son  of  the  Queen  Gulnare, 
and  that  he  is  the  handsomest  of  the  people  of  his  age,  and  the  most  lovely 
of  them,  and  the  most  exalted  of  them  in  dignity,  and  the  most  noble  of 
them  in  rank  :  he  is  not  suitable  to  any  but  thee,  nor  art  thou  suitable  to  any 
but  him.  And  she  replied,  O  my  father,  I  can  not  oppose  thy  wish:  there- 
fore do  what  thou  wilt ;  for  anxiety  and  distress  have  ceased,  and  I  am  unto 
him  of  the  number  of  servants. 

So  thereupon  they  summoned  the  cadies  and  the  witnesses,  and  they 
performed  the  ceremony  of  the  contract  of  the  marriage  of  the  King  Be- 
der Basim,  the  son  of  the  Queen  Gulnare  of  the  Sea,  to  the  Queen  Gio- 
276 


STORY  OF  BEDER  BASIM  AND  GIOHARA. 

hara.  The  people  of  the  city  decorated  it,  sent  forth  the  announcers  of  the 
glad  tidings,  and  released  all  who  were  in  the  prisons  ;  and  the  king  clothed 
the  widows  and  the  orphans,  and  conferred  robes  of  honor  upon  the  lords 
of  the  empire,  and  the  emirs  and  other  great  men.  Then  they  celebrated 
a  grand  festivity,  made  banquets,  and  continued  the  festivities  evening  and 
morning  for  a  period  of  ten  days  ;  and  they  displayed  her  to  the  King  Be- 
der  Basim  in  niue  different  dresses.  After  this  the  King  Beder  Basim 
conferred  a  dress  of  honor  upon  the  King  Samandal,  and  restored  him  to 
his  country,  and  his  family,  and  his  relations  ;  and  they  ceased  not  to  pass 
the  most  delightful  life,  and  the  most  agreeable  days,  eating  and  drinking, 
and  enjoying  themselves,  until  they  were  visited  by  the  terminator  of  de- 
lights and  the  separator  of  companions. 

This  is  the  end  of  their  story.     The  mercy  of  God  be  on  them  all ! 


Guinare  of  the  Sea. 


277 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  SEVEN  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY-SIXTH 
NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  SEVEN  HUNDRED  AND  SEVEN- 
TY-EIGHTH. 

THE  STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

There  was,  in  olden  times,  and  in  an  ancient  age  and  period,  in  Egypt, 
a  king  named  Asim  the  son  of  Safwan.  He  was  a  liberal,  munificent  king, 
reverend  and  dignified  :  he  possessed  many  countries,  and  castles,  and  for- 
tresses, and  troops,  and  soldiers,  and  he  had  a  vizier  named  Faris  the  son  of 
Saleh ;  and  they  all  worshiped  the  sun  and  fire  instead  of  the  Almighty 
King,  the  Glorious,  the  Mighty  in  dominion.  Now  this  king  became  a  very 
old  man;  old  age,  and  sickness,  and  decrepitude  had  rendered  him  infirm; 
for  he  had  lived  a  hundred  and  eighty  vears  ;  and  he  had  not  a  male  child 
278 


STORY  OF  SHEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

nor  a  female ;  on  account  of  which  he  was  in  a  state  of  anxiety  and  grief 
night  and  day.  And  it  happened  that  he  was  sitting  one  day  upon  the 
throne  of  his  kingdom,  with  the  emirs,  and  viziers,  and  the  chief  officers, 
and  the  lords  of  the  empire  serving  him  according  to  their  custom,  and  ac- 
cording to  their  ranks ;  and  whosoever  of  the  emirs  came  in  to  him  having 
with  him  a  son,  or  two  sons,  the  king  envied  him,  and  he  said  within  him- 
self, Every  one  is  happy  and  rejoicing  in  his  children  ;  hut  I  have  not  a  son, 
and  to-morrow  I  shall  die,  and  leave  my  kingdom,  and  my  throne,  and  my 
lands,  and  my  treasures,  and  my  riches,  and  the  strangers  will  take  them, 
and  no  one  will  ever  remember  me  :  there  will  not  remain  any  memory  of 
me  in  the  world.  Then  the  King  Asim  became  drowned  in  the  sea  of  so- 
licitude; and  in  consequence  of  the  rapid  succession  of  griefs  and  solici- 
tudes in  his  heart,  he  wept,  and  descended  from  his  throne,  and  sat  upon 
the  floor,  weeping  and  humbling  himself.  So  when  the  vizier  and  the  as- 
sembly of  the  great  men  of  the  empire  who  were  present  saw  him  do  thus 
with  himself,  they  called  out  to  the  people,  and  said  to  them,  Go  ye  to  your 
abodes  and  rest  until  the  king  recover  from  the  state  in  which  he  is. 

They  therefore  departed,  and  there  remained  not  any  excepting  the  king 
and  the  vizier;  and  when  the  king  recovered,  the  vizier  kissed  the  ground 
before  him  and  said  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  what  is  the  cause  of  this  ,  , 
weeping?  Inform  me  who  of  the  kings  and  the  lords  of  the  castles,  or  of 
the  emirs  and  the  lords  of  the  empire,  hath  become  thine  enemy,  and  ac- 
quaint me  who  opposeth  thee,  O  king,  that  we  may  all  attack  him,  and  take 
his  soul  from  between  his  sides.  But  the  king  spoke  not,  nor  raised  his 
head.  Then  the  vizier  kissed  the  ground  before  him  a  second  time,  and 
said  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  I  am  like  thy  son  and  thy  slave  ;  nay,  I  have 
reared  thee  ;  and  I  know  not  the  cause  of  thy  grief,  and  thine  anxiety,  and 
thy  distress,  and  the  state  in  which  thou  art.  Who,  then,  besides  me  can 
know,  and  stand  in  my  stead  before  thee  ?  Acquaint  me,  therefore,  with 
the  cause  of  this  weeping  and  mourning.  Yet  he  spoke  not,  nor  opened 
his  mouth,  nor  raised  his  head  ;  but  ceased  not  to  weep,  and  he  cried  out 
with  a  loud  voice,  and  wailed  exceedingly,  and  cried,  Ah !  while  the  vizier 
regarded  him  patiently.  And  after  that  the  vizier  said  to  him,  If  thou  tell 
me  not  the  cause  of  this,  I  will  kill  myself  before  thee  immediately  while 
thou  lookest  on,  rather  than  see  thee  in  anxiety.  So  the  King  Asim  there- 
upon raised  his  head,  and  wiped  away  his  tears,  and  said,  O  faithful  vizier, 
leave  me  in  my  anxiety  and  my  grief:  for  the  sorrows  in  my  heart  are  suffi- 
cient for  me.  But  the  vizier  replied,  Tell  me,  O  king,  what  is  the  cause 
of  this  weeping :  perhaps  God  may  give  thee  relief  by  my  means.  And 
the  king  said  to  him,  O  vizier,  my  weeping  is  not  on  account  of  wealth,  nor 
on  account  of  horses,  nor  on  account  of  any  thing  but  this,  that  I  have  be- 
come an  old  man,  and  my  age  is  about  a  hundred  and  eighty  years,  and  I 
have  not  been  blessed  with  a  male  child  nor  a  female  ;  so  when  I  die,  they 
will  bury  me  ;  then  will  every  trace  of  mo  be  obliterated,  and  my  name  will 
become  extinct,  and  strangers  will  take  my  throne  and  my  kingdom,  and 
no  one  will  ever  remember  me.  To  this  the  vizier  replied,  O  king  of  the 
age,  I  am  older  than  thou  by  a  hundred  years,  and  have  never  been  bless- 
ed with  a  child,  and  1  cease  not  to  suffer  anxiety  and  grief  night  and  day; 
and  what  shall  we  do,  I  and  thou  ?  But  I  have  heard  of  the  fame  of  Sol- 
omon the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !),  and  that  he  hath  a 
mighty  Lord,  able  to  accomplish  every  thing.     It  is  meet,  therefore,  that  I 

279 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 


repair  unto  him  with  a  present,  and  have 
recourse  to  him,  that  he  may  petition  his 
Lord :  perhaps  He  may  bless  each  of  us 
with  a  child.  The  vizier  then  prepared 
for  the  journey,  took  a  magnificent  pres- 
ent, and  repaired  with  it  to  Solomon  the 
son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace!) 
Such   w  a  s 


the  case  of  the  vizier. 
Now    as    to    Solo- 
mon the  son  of  David 
(on  both  of  whom  be 
peace!),  God   (whose  perfection  be  extolled, 
and  whose  name  be  exalted!)  spoke  in  reve- 
lation unto  him,  and  said,  O  Solomon,  verily 
the  King  of  Egypt  hath  sent  to  thee  his  chief 
vizier,  with  presents  and  rarities,  which  are 
such  and  such  things.     Send  thou,  therefore, 
unto  him  thy  Vizier  Asaph  the  son  of  Bar- 
kia  to   meet  him  with  honor  and  with  pro- 
visions at  the  halting  places  ;  and  when  he 
presenteth    himself  before   thee,    say   to 
him,  Verily  the  king  hath  sent  thee  to  de- 
mand such  and  such  things,  and  thine  af- 
fair is  so  and  so.     Then  propose  to 
him  the  faith.     So  upon  this  Solo- 
mon  ordered   his  Vizier  Asaph  to 
take  with  him  a  company  of  his  de- 
pendents, to  meet  them  with  hon- 
or and  with  sumptuous   provisions 
at  the  halting  places.     Accordingly, 
Asaph  went  forth,  after  he  had  pre- 
pared all  things  necessary,  to  meet 
them,  and    he  proceeded   until   he 
came  to  Faris,  the  vizier  of  the  King 
of  Egypt.  He  met 

him  and  saluted  (T^r^W^f Ifft 
him,  and  treated  ggfPSI 
him  and  those 
who  accompanied 
him  with  exceed- 
ing honor,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  present 
to  them  the  pro- 
visions and  the 
provender  at  the 
halting  places;  and 
he  said  to  him,  A 
friendly,  and  free, 
and  ample  wel- 
come to  the  com- 
280 


The  two  viziers  advancing  amid  Solomon's  troops. 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

ing  guests!  Rejoice  ye  at  the  information  of  the  accomplishment  of  your 
affair,  and  let  your  hearts  be  glad,  and  your  eyes  be  cheerful,  and  your 
bosoms  be  dilated!  So  the  vizier  said  within  himself,  Who  acquainted 
them  with  this  ?  Then  he  said  to  Asaph  the  son  of  Barkia,  And  who  in- 
formed you  of  us  and  of  our  desires,  O  my  lord?  Asaph  answered  him, 
Verily  Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !) ;  he  it  was 
who  informed  us  of  this.  And  who,  said  the  Vizier  Faris,  informed  our 
Lord  Solomon  ?  He  answered  him,  The  Lord  of  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  and  the  God  of  all  creatures,  informed  him.  And  the  Vizier  Faris 
replied.  This  is  none  other  than  a  mighty  God  !  So  Asaph  the  son  of  Bar- 
kia said  to  him,  And  do  ye  not  worship  Him  ?  Faris  the  vizier  of  the  King 
of  Egypt  answered,  We  worship  the  sun,  and  prostrate  ourselves  to  it. 
Asaph  therefore  replied,  O  Vizier  Faris,  verily  the  sun  is  a  star,  of  the 
number  of  the  stars  created  by  God  (whose  perfection  be  extolled,  and 
whose  name  be  exalted !),  and  far  be  it  from  being  a  Lord  !  For  the  sun 
appeareth  at  times  and  is  absent  at  times,  and  our  Lord  is  always  present, 
never  absent,  and  He  is  able  to  effect  every  thing. 

They  then  journeyed  on  a  little  until  they  came  near  to  the  seat  of  gov- 
ernment of  Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace!),  when 
Solomon  ordered  his  troops  of  mankind,  and  of  the  Genii  and  other  crea- 
tines, to  range  themselves  in  their  way  in  ranks.  So  the  wild  creatures 
of  the  sea,  and  the  elephants,  and  the  leopards,  and  the  lynxes  all  stationed 
themselves,  and  ranged  themselves  in  the  way  in  two  ranks.  The  species 
of  each  kind  collected  themselves  into  separate  bodies,  and  in  like  manner 
did  the  Genii  ;  each  of  which  appeared  to  the  eyes  unhidden,  in  a  terrible 
form  ;  and  they  were  of  various  descriptions.  They  all  stood  in  two  ranks, 
and  the  birds  spread  their  wings  over  the  other  creatures  to  shade  them, 
warbling  one  to  another  with  all  tongues  and  with  all  notes.  Therefore, 
when  the  people  of  Egypt  came  to  them,  they  dreaded  them,  and  dared 
not  to  proceed  ;  but  Asaph  said  to  them,  Enter  amid  them  and  pass  on,  and 
fear  them  not ;  for  they  are  the  subjects  of  Solomon  the  son  of  David,  and 
none  of  them  will  hurt  you.  Then  Asaph  entered  among  them ;  and  all 
the  people  entered  behind  him,  the  party  of  the  vizier  of  the  King  of  Egypt 
being  among  them ;  but  they  were  in  fear.  They  ceased  not  to  proceed 
until  they  arrived  at  the  city,  when  they  lodged  them  in  the  mansion  of 
entertainment,  treated  them  with  the  utmost  honor,  and  brought  to  them 
sumptuous  banquets  during  a  period  of  three  days. 

After  this  they  brought  them  before  Solomon  the  Prophet  of  God  (peace 
be  on  him!);  and  when  they  went  in  to  him,  they  desired  to  kiss  the 
ground  before  him ;  but  he  prevented  their  doing  so,  and  said,  It  is  not 
meet  that  a  man  prostrate  himself  upon  the  ground  save  unto  God  (to 
whom  be  ascribed  might  and  glory!),  the  Creator  of  the  earth,  and  the 
heavens,  and  all  other  things;  and  whoever  among  you  desireth  to  stand, 
let  him  stand  ;  but  none  of  you  shall  stand  in  attendance  upon  me.  They 
therefore  complied,  and  the  Vizier  Faris  sat,  and  some  of  his  servants; 
but  some  of  the  inferiors  stood  waiting  upon  him  ;  and  when  they  had  sat 
a  while,  the  servants  spread  for  them  the  tables,  and  the  people  all  ate  of 
the  repast  until  they  were  satisfied.  Then  Solomon  commanded  the  Vizier 
of  Egypt  to  mention  his  affair,  that  it  might  be  accomplished,  and  said  to 
him,  Speak,  and  conceal  not  aught  of  that  on  account  of  which  thou  hast 
come;  for  thou  hast  not  come  save  for  the  accomplishment  of  an  affair; 

281 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

and  I  will  inform  thee  thereof.  It  is  thus  and  thus  :  The  King  of  Egypt 
who  sent  thee  is  named  Asim,  and  he  hath  become  a  very  old  man,  de- 
crepit, infirm;  and  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  hath  not  blessed  him 
with  a  male  child  nor  a  female.  He  hath  therefore  been  in  a  state  of  grief, 
and  anxiety,  and  solicitude  night  and  day,  until  it  happened  to  him  that  he 
was  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  his  kingdom  one  day,  and  the  emirs,  and 
viziers,  and  the  great  men  of  his  empire  came  in  to  him,  and  he  saw  some 
of  them  having  two  sons  each,  and  some  having  one  son,  and  some  of  them 
having  three  sons,  and  they  came  in  accompanied  by  their  sons,  and  stood 
in  attendance  upon  him.  So  he  meditated  in  himself,  and  said,  by  reason 
of  the  excess  of  his  sorrow,  Who  will  take  my  kingdom  after  my  death  ? 
And  will  any  but  a  stranger  take  it  ?  Thus  I  shall  be  as  though  I  had  never 
been.  He  became  drowned  in  the  sea  of  solicitude  on  account  of  this,  and 
ceased  not  to  remain  in  solicitude  and  sorrow  until  his  eyes  overflowed 
with  tears,  and  he  covered  his  face  with  the  handkerchief,  and  wept  vio- 
lently. Then  he  arose  from  his  throne,  and  sat  upon  the  floor,  weeping 
and  lamenting,  and  none  knew  what  was  in  his  heart  excepting  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted!),  while  he  thus  sat  upon  the  floor.  And  when  the 
Prophet  of  God,  Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !), 
had  informed  the  Vizier  Faris  of  the  sorrow  and  weeping  of  the  king,  and 
what  had  happened  between  him  and  his  vizier  from  first  to  last,  he  said, 
after  that,  to  the  Vizier  Faris,  Is  this  which  I  have  told  thee,  O  vizier,  true  ? 
So  the  Vizier  Faris  answered,  O  Prophet  of  God,  verily  that  which  thou 
hast  said  is  true  and  correct ;  but,  O  Prophet  of  God,  when  I  was  con- 
versing with  the  king  respecting  this  matter,  there  was  not  with  us  any 
one,  and  not  one  of  the  people  knew  our  case.  Who,  then,  informed  thee 
of  all  these  things?  He  replied,  My  Lord,  who  knoweth  the  furtive 
glance  and  what  the  bosoms  conceal,  informed  me.  So  thereupon  the 
Vizier  Faris  said,  O  Prophet  of  God,  this  is  none  other  than  an  excellent, 
mighty  Lord,  able  to  accomplish  every  thing.  And  the  Vizier  Faris  em- 
braced the  true  faith,  he  and  they  who  were  with  him. 

The  Prophet  of  God,  Solomon,  then  said  to  the  vizier,  Verily  thou  hast 
with  thee  such  and  such  rarities  and  presents.  The  vizier  replied,  Yes. 
And  Solomon  said  to  him,  I  accept  from  thee  all  of  them  ;  but  I  give  them 
unto  thee  ;  and  rest  thou,  and  those  who  are  with  thee,  in  the  place  where 
ye  took  up  your  quarters,  that  the  fatigue  of  the  journey  may  quit  you; 
and  to-morrow,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!),  thine 
affair  shall  be  accomplished  in  the  most  complete  manner,  by  the  will  of 
God,  the  Lord  of  the  earth  and  the  heaven,  and  the  Creator  of  all  crea- 
tures. Then  the  Vizier  Faris  went  to  his  place ;  and  he  repaired  to  the 
Lord  Solomon  on  the  following  day  ;  whereupon  the  Prophet  of  God,  Solo- 
mon, said  to  him,  When  thou  hast  come  unto  the  King  Asim  the  son  of 
Safwan,  and  hast  an  interview  with  him,  do  ye  both  ascend  such  a  tree,  and 
sit  silent;  and  when  it  is  the  period  between  the  morning  and  evening 
prayers,  and  the  mid-day  heat  hath  become  assuaged,  descend  ye  to  the 
foot  of  the  tree,  and  look  ye  there  :  ye  will  find  two  large  serpents  coming 
forth ;  the  head  of  one  being  like  the  head  of  the  ape,  and  the  head  of 
the  other  like  the  head  of  an  Afrite.  When  ye  see  them,  smite  ye  them 
with  arrows,  and  kill  them  ;  then  [cut  oft'  and]  throw  away,  from  the  head 
part  of  each  of  them,  as  much  as  one  span's  length,  and  of  the  tail  part  of 
each  of  them  likewise  :  so  their  flesh  will  remain,  and  do  ye  cook  it,  and 
282 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 


cook  it  well,  and  feed  your  two  wives  with  it,  and  ye  will  obtain  by  them, 
by  the  permission  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  male  children.  Then 
Solomon  (on  whom  be  peace  !)  caused  to  be  brought  a  seal-ring,  and  a 
sword,  and  a  wrapper  containing  a  tunic  ornamented  with  jewels,  and  he 
said,  O  Vizier  Faris,  when  the  two  sons  of  you  twain  shall  have  grown  up, 
and  attained  to  manhood,  give  ye  to  each  one  of  them  one  of  these  things. 
And  after  this  he  said  to  the  vizier,  In  the  name  of  God  !  May  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !)  accomplish  thine  affair  !  And  now  there  remaineth  not 
aught  for  thee  to  do  but  that  thou  set  forth  on  thy  journey,  relying  upon 
the  blessing  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!);  for  the  king  is  night  and 
day  expecting  thine  arrival,  and  his  eye  is  constantly  gazing  upon  the  way. 
So  upon  this  the  Vizier  Faris  advanced  to  the  Prophet  of  God,  Solomon 
the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !),  and  bade  him  farewell,  and 
went  forth  from  him,  after  he  had  kissed  his  hands. 

He  journeyed  on  during  the  rest  of  that  day,  full  of  joy  on  account  of  the 
accomplishment  of  his  affair,  and  he  prosecuted  his  journey  with  diligence 
night  and  day,  and  ceased  not  to  travel  on  until  he  came  near  to  Egypt, 
vvheu  he  sent  one  of  his  servants  to  acquaint  the  King  Asim  therewith.  So 
when  the  King  Asim  heard  of  his  arrival  and  of  the  accomplishment  of  his 
affair,  he  rejoiced  exceedingly,  he  and  his  chief  officers,  and  the  lords  of  his 
kingdom,  and  all  his  troops,  and  especially  at  the  safety  of  the  Vizier  Faris. 
And  when  the  king  and  the  vizier  met  each  other,  the  vizier  alighted  and 
kissed  the  ground  before  him,  and  gave  the  king  the  glad  tidings  of  the  ac- 
complishment of  his  affair  in  the  most  complete  manner ;  after  which  he 
proposed  to  him  the  true  faith;  whereupon  the  King  Asim  embraced  the 
true  faith,  with  all  his  subjects,  and  said  to  the  Vizier  Faris,  Go  to  thy 
house  and  rest  thyself  this  night,  and  rest  thyself  also  for  a  week,  and  en- 
ter the  bath  :  after  that,  come  to  me,  that  I  may  inform  thee  of  a  thing 
respecting  which  we  must  deliberate.  So  the  vizier  kissed  the  ground  and 
departed,  he  and  his  dependents,  and  his  young  men,  and  his  servants,  to 
his  house,  and  he  rested  eight  days ; 
after  which  he  repaired  to  the  king, 
and  related  to  him  all  that  had  occur- 
red between  him  and  Solomon  the  son 
of  David,  on  both  of  whom  be  peace  ! 
He  then  said  to  the  king,  Arise  thou 
alone,  and  come  with  me.  He  there- 
fore arose  with  the  vizier,  and  they 
took  two  bows  and  two  arrows,  as- 
cended the  tree,  and  sat  silent  until 
the  period  of  mid-day  had  passed,  and 
ceased  not  to  remain  so  until  near  the 
time  of  afternoon  prayers,  when  they 
descended,  and  looked,  and  saw  two 
large  serpents  come  forth  from  the  foot 
of  the  tree.  The  king  looked  at  them, 
and  liked  them ;  for  they  excited  his 
admiration  when  he  saw  them  with 
collars  of  gold ;  and  he  said,  O  vizier, 
verily  these  two  serpents  are  adorned 
with  collars  of  gold  !      By   Allah,  this     The  Kin*  Asim  and  his  vizier  iu  the  tree. 

283 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  EL.TEMAL. 


is  a  wonderful  thing !  Let  us  take  them 
and  put  them  into  a  cage,  and  divert  our- 
selves with  the  sight  of  them.  But  the  vizier 
replied,  These  hath  God  created  for  their 
use  :  so  smite  thou  one 
with  an  arrow,  and  I  will 
smite  one  with  an  arrow. 
Accordingly,  they  both 
shot  at  them  with  the 
arrows  and  slew  them  ; 
and  they  cut  off  from  the 
head  partof  each  of  them 
a  span,  and  from  the  tail- 
part  of  each  a  span,  and 
threw  away  these  pieces. 
They  then  went  with  the 
rest  to  the  king's  palace, 
demanded  the  cook,  and 
gave  him  that  meat,  say- 
ing to  him,  Cook  this 
meat  nicely,  with  onion 
sauce  and  spices,  and  la- 
dle it  out  into  two  sau- 
cers, and  bring  them  hith- 
er at  such  a  time  and  at 
such  an  hour,  and  delay 
not.  So  the  cook  took 
the  meat  and  went  with 
it  to  the  kitchen,  and  he 
cooked  it  well,  with  excellent  onion  sauce  ;  after  which  he  ladled  it  out  into 
two  saucers,  and  brought  them  before  the  king  and  the  vizier.  The  king 
therefore  took  a  saucer,  and  the  vizier  a  saucer,  and  they  fed  with  them 
their  two  wives ;  and  by  the  good  pleasure  of  God  (whose  perfection  be 
extolled,  and  whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  his  power  and  will,  it  hap- 
pened that  night  as  the  Prophet  of  God,  Solomon,  had  said. 

The  king  remained  after  that  three  months  disturbed  in  heart,  saying 
within  himself,  I  wonder  whether  this  thing  be  true  or  not  true.  Then 
his  wife  was  sitting  one  day,  and  she  felt  symptoms  of  becoming  a  mother, 
and  she  was  pained,  and  her  complexion  changed.  So  she  summoned  one 
of  the  eunuchs  who  were  with  her,  and  he  was  one  of  the  chief  of  them, 
and  she  said,  Go  to  the  king,  wherever  he  is,  and  say  to  him,  O  king  of  the 
age,  I  give  thee  the  glad  tidings  that  our  mistress  hath  felt  symptoms  of  her 
becoming  a  mother.  The  eunuch  therefore  went  forth  quickly,  full  of  joy, 
and  he  saw  the  king  alone,  with  his  hand  upon  his  cheek,  meditating  on 
this  subject ;  so  the  eunuch  approached  him,  and  kissed  the  ground  before 
him,  and  informed  him  of  this  fact.  And  when  he  heard  the  words  of  the 
eunuch,  he  rose  upon  his  feet,  and,  in  the  excess  of  his  joy,  he  kissed  the 
hand  of  the  eunuch,  and  his  head,  and,  having  pulled  off  the  apparel  that 
was  on  himself,  gave  it  to  him  ;  and  he  said  to  those  who  were  present  in 
his  hall  of  assembhy,  Whosoever  loveth  me,  let  him  bestow  favors  upon 
him.  They  therefore  gave  him.  of  riches,  and  jewels,  and  jacinths,  and 
284 


The  two  serpents. 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

horses,  and  mules,  and  gardens,  what  could  not  be  numbered  nor  calculated. 
Then  the  vizier  came  in  at  that  time  to  the  king,  and  said,  O  king  of  the 
age,  I  was  just  now  sitting  alone  in  the  house,  troubled  in  heart,  meditating 
upon  the  state  of  my  wife,  and  saying  within  myself,  I  wonder  whether  it 
be  true,  and  whether  Katoun  will  bear  me  a  child  or  not ;  when  lo,  the  eu- 
nuch came  in  to  me  and  gave  me  the  glad  tidings  that  my  wife  Katoun  had 
felt  symptoms  of  becoming  a  mother,  and  that  her  complexion  was  changed ; 
whereupon,  in  my  joy,  I  pulled  off  all  the  apparel  that  was  upon  me  and 
gave  it  to  the  eunuch  ;  and  I  gave  him  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  made 
him  the  chief  of  the  eunuchs.  Then  the  King  Asim  said,  O  vizier,  verily 
God  (blessed  be  He,  and  exalted  be  his  name  !)  hath  favored  us,  in  his 
bounty,  and  goodness,  and  liberality,  and  beneficence,  with  the  right  re- 
ligion, and  honored  us  in  his  graciousness  and  bounty,  and  brought  us  out 
from  darkness  into  light;  and  I  desire  to  relieve  the  people,  and  to  rejoice 
them.  So  the  vizier  said,  Do  what  thou  desirest.  And  he  said,  O  vizier, 
go  down  immediately,  and  take  forth  every  one  who  is  in  the  prison,  of  the 
criminals  and  debtors ;  and  whosoever  shall  be  guilty  of  an  offense  after 
that,  we  will  requite  him  with  that  which  he  shall  deserve.  We  will  also 
take  off  from  the  people  the  tribute  for  three  years,  and  do  thou  set  up 
around  this  city  kitchens,  around  the  walls,  and  order  the  cooks  to  suspend 
there  all  kinds  of  cooking-pots,  to  cook  all  kinds  of  viands,  and  to  continue 
the  cooking  night  and  day  ;  and  all  who  are  in  this  city,  and  in  the  sm-- 
rounding  tracts,  near  and  distant,  shall  eat,  and  drink,  and  carry  to  their 
houses.  Order  them  also  to  make  merry,  and  to  decorate  the  city  seven 
days,  and  not  to  shut  their  shops  night  nor  day. 

So  the  vizier  went  forth  immediately,  and  did  as  the  King  Asim  had 
commanded  him.  They  decorated  the  city,  and  the  castle,  and  the  towers, 
in  the  most  beautiful  manner,  and  clad  themselves  in  the  best  of  apparel; 
and  the  people  passed  their  time  in  eating  and  drinking,  and  play  and 
merriment,  until  the  period  of  the  delivery  of  the  king's  wife,  after  the 
fulfillment  of  her  days,  when  she  gave  birth  to  a  male  child  like  the  moon 
in  the  night  of  its  fullness,  and  the  king  named  him  Seifelmolouk.  Like- 
wise the  wife  of  the  vizier  gave  birth  to  a  boy  like  a  lamp,  and  he  named 
him  Said.  When  they  had  attained  to  years  of  discretion,  the  King  Asim, 
whenever  he  beheld  them,  rejoiced  in  them  exceedingly ;  and  when  their 
age  had  become  twenty  years,  the  king  summoned  his  Vizier  Faris  to  a 
private  interview,  and  said  to  him.  O  vizier,  a  thing  hath  occurred  to  my 
mind,  and  I  desire  to  do  it;  but  I  will  consult  thee  respecting  it.  The 
vizier  replied,  Whatever  hath  occurred  to  thy  mind,  do  it;  for  thy  judg- 
ment is  blessed.  And  the  King  Asim  said,  O  vizier,  I  have  become  a  very 
old,  decrepit  man;  for  I  am  far  advanced  in  years;  and  I  desire  to  reside 
in  a  mosque,  to  worship  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  give  my  king- 
dom and  my  empire  to  my  son  Seifelmolouk;  since  he  is  now  a  comely 
young  man,  perfect  in  horsemanship,  and  intellect,  and  polite  literature, 
and  gravity!,  and  the  art  of  government.  What,  then,  sayest  thou,  O 
vizier,  of  this  idea  ?  The  vizier  answered,  Excellent  is  the  idea  that  thou 
hast  formed.  It  is  a  blessed  and  fortunate  idea;  and  if  thou  do  this,  1  also 
will  do  like  thee,  and  my  son  Said  shall  be  vizier  unto  him  ;  for  he  is  a 
comely  yoailg  man,  a  person  of  knowledge  and  judgment.  Thus  the  two 
shall  be  together,  and  we  will  arrange  their  affair,  and  will  not  be  negli- 
gent respecting  their  case,  but  guide  them  to  the  right  way.     Then  the 

285 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BSDIA  ELJEMAL. 


King  Asim  said  to  his  vizier, 
Write  the  letters,  and  send 
them  by  the  couriers  to  all 
the  provinces,  and  districts, 
and  fortresses,  and  castles  that 
are  under  our  authority,  and 
order  their  chiefs  to  be  pres- 
ent in  such  a  month  in  the 
Horse-course  of  the  Elephant. 
The  Vizier  Faris  therefore 
went  forth  immediately,  and 
wrote  to  all  the  governors  and 
the  commanders  of  the  castles, 
and  others  who  were  under 
the  authority  of  the  King  Asim, 
commanding  them  all  to  be 
present  in  that  month ;  and 
he  ordered  that  every  one 
who  was  in  the  city  should 
be  present,-  the  distant  and  the 
near. 

Then  the  King  Asim,  after 
the  expiration  of  the  greater 
part  of  the  interval,  command- 
ed the  servants  to  pitch  the 
tents  in  the  midst  of  the  horse- 
course,  and  to  decorate  them 
in  the  most  sumptuous  man- 
ner, and  to  set  the  great  throne 
upon  which  the  king  sat  not 
save  on  the  occasions  of  festi- 
vals. So  they  did  immediately 
all  that  he  commanded  them : 
they  set  the  throne,  and  the 
lieutenants,  and  chamberlains, 
and  emirs  went  forth.  The  king  also  went  forth,  and  commanded  to  proclaim 
among  the  people,  In  the  name  of  God !  come  forth  to  the  horse-course !  Ac- 
cordingly, tlie  emirs,  and  viziers,  and  the  governors  of  the  provinces  and  the 
cultivated  tracts,  came  forth  to  that  horse-course,  and  betook  themselves  to  the 
service  of  the  king,  as  was  their  custom,  and  they  all  remained  in  their  several 
places  :  some  of  them  sat  and  some  stood,  until  all  the  people  had  collected, 
when  the  king  gave  orders  to  spread  the  table.  They  therefore  spread  it, 
and  they  ate  and  drank,  and  prayed  for  the  king.  Then  the  king  com- 
manded the  chamberlains  to  proclaim  among  the  people  that  they  should 
not  depart.  So  they  proclaimed,  and  said  in  their  proclamation,  Not  one 
of  you  shall  go  until  he  heareth  the  words  of  the  king  !  They  then 
raised  the  curtains,  and  the  king  said,  Whoso  loveth  me,  let  him  remain 
until  he  heareth  my  words.  Wherefore  all  the  people  sat  with  tranquil 
souls,  after  they  had  been  fearful.  And  the  king  rose  upon  his  feet,  and 
made  them  swear  that  none  of  them  would  rise  from  his  place  ;  and  he  said 
to  them,  O  emirs,  and  viziers,  and  lords  of  the  empire,  great  and  small, 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

and  whosoever  is  present  of  all  the  people,  do  ye  know  that  this  kingdom 
was  an  heritage  unto  me  from  my  fathers  and  forefathers  ?  They  an- 
swered him,  Yes,  O  king,  all  of  us  know  that.  And  he  said  to  them,  I  and 
ye  all  worshiped  the  sun  and  the  moon,  and  God  (whose  name  be  exalted !) 
blessed  us  with  the  true  faith,  and  delivered  us  from  darkness  into  light, 
and  God  (whose  perfection  be  extolled,  and  whose  name  be  exalted  !)  guided 
us  unto  the  true  religion.  Know  also  that  I  have  now  become  a  very  old 
man,  decrepit,  impotent ;  and  I  desire  to  sit  in  a  mosque,  there  to  worship 
God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  to  beg  his  forgiveness  of  past  offenses  ; 
and  this  my  son  Seifelmolouk  shall  be  ruler.  Ye  know  that  he  is  a  comely 
young  man,  eloquent,  acquainted  with  the  affairs  of  the  world,  intelligent, 
excelling  in  science,  just.  I  therefore  desire  at  this  present  time  to  give 
him  my  kingdom,  and  to  make  him  king  over  you  in  my  stead,  and  seat  him 
as  sultan  in  my  place.  So  I  will  retire  to  worship  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted!)  in  a  mosque,  and  my  son  Seifelmolouk  will  be  invested  with  the 
sovereignty,  and  judge  between  you.  What,  then,  do  ye  all  say  ?  And  upon 
this  they  all  rose,  and,  having  kissed  the  ground  before  him,  answered,  We 
hear  and  obey.  And  they  said,  O  our  king  and  our  defender,  shouldst  thou 
set  over  us  one  of  thy  slaves,  we  would  obey  him,  and  attend  to  thy  words, 
and  comply  with  thy  command  :  how,  then,  in  the  case  of  thy  son  Seifel- 
molouk ?     We  accept  him  and  approve  of  him,  on  the  eye  and  the  head. 


%M 


The  King  Aaira  crowning  Seifelmolouk. 


287 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

So  thereupon  the  King  Asim  the  son  of  Safwan  arose,  and  descended 
from  his  throne,  and,  having  seated  his  son  od  the  great  throne,  took  the 
crown  from  his  own  head  and  put  it  on  the  head  of  his  son,  and  he  girded 
his  waist  with  the  royal  girdle.  Then  the  King  Asim  seated  himself  upon 
the  throne  of  his  kingdom,  by  the  side  of  his  son  ;  and  the  emirs,  and  viz- 
iers, and  the  great  men  of  the  empire,  and  all  the  people,  arose  and  kissed 
the  ground  before  him,  and  stood,  saying  one  to  another,  He  is  worthy  of 
the  sovereignty,  and  he  is  more  worthy  of  it  than  any  other.  They  made 
proclamation  of  safety,  and  offered  up  prayers  in  his  favor  for  victory  and 
good  fortune  ;  and  Seifelmolouk  scattered  gold  and  silver  over  the  heads  of 
all  the  people,  conferred  robes  of  honor,  and  gave  and  bestowed.  Then, 
after  a  moment,  the  Vizier  Faris  arose  and  kissed  the  ground,  and  said,  O 
emirs,  O  lords  of  the  empire,  do  ye  know  that  I  am  vizier,  and  that  my 
office  of  vizier  commenced  of  old,  before  the  King  Asim  the  son  of  Saf- 
wan was  invested  with  the  sovereignty,  who  hath  now  divested  himself  of 
the  sovereignty  and  invested  his  son  in  his  stead?  They  answered,  Yes; 
we  know  that  thou  hast  inherited  thine  office  of  vizier  from  father  after 
grandfather.  And  he  said,  And  now  I  divest  myself,  and  invest  this  my 
son  Said  ;  for  he  is  intelligent,  sagacious,  knowing.  What,  then,  say  ye  all  ? 
And  they  answered,  None  is  fit  to  be  vizier  to  the  King  Seifelmolouk  ex- 
cept thy  son  Said;  for  they  are  suited  one  to  the  other.  So  thereupon  the 
Vizier  Faris  arose,  and  took  oft'  his  vizier's  turban,  and  put  it  on  the  head 
of  his  son  Said,  and  he  put  the  vizier's  ink-case  before  him  also.  And  the 
chamberlains  and  emirs  said,  Verily  he  deserveth  the  office  of  vizier.  Then 
the  King  Asim  and  the  Vizier  Faris  arose,  and  opened  the  treasuries,  and 
conferred  sumptuous  robes  of  honor  upon  the  kings,  and  emirs,  and  viziers, 
and  the  great  men  of  the  empire,  and  all  the  people  ;  gave  salaries  and  ben- 
efactions, and  wrote  for  them  new  diplomas  and  mandates  with  the  signa- 
ture of  Seifelmolouk  and  the  signature  of  the  Vizier  Said  the  son  of  the  Viz- 
ier Faris ;  and  the  people  [of  the  provinces]  remained  in  the  city  for  a  week, 
after  which  each  of  them  journeyed  to  his  district  and  his  place. 

The  King  Asim  then  took  his  son  Seifelmolouk,  and  Said  the  son  of  the 
old  vizier,  and  they  entered  the  city,  went  up  to  the  palace,  and,  having 
summoned  the  treasurer,  ordered  him  to  bring  the  seal-ring,  and  the  sword, 
and  the  wrapper;  and  the  King  Asim  said,  O  my  sons,  come  :  each  of  you 
shall  choose  something  from  this  present  and  take  it.  And  the  first  who 
put  forth  his  hand  was  Seifelmolouk,  who  took  the  wrapper  and  the  seal 
ring ;  and  Said  put  forth  his  hand  and  took  the  sword  ;  after  which  they 
kissed  the  hands  of  the  old  king,  and  departed  to  their  dwelling-places. 
Now  when  Seifelmolouk  took  the  wrapper,  he  did  not  open  it,  nor  look  at 
what  was  in  it,  but  he  threw  it  upon  the  couch  on  which  he  slept  at  night, 
together  with  his  Vizier  Said;  for  it  was  their  custom  to  sleep  together. 
They  spread  their  bed,  and  the  two  lay  down  together  upon  it,  the  candles 
shedding  their  light  upon  them  ;  and  they  remained  until  midnight.  Then 
Seifelmolouk  awoke  from  his  sleep,  and,  seeing  the  wrapper  at  his  head, 
he  said  within  himself,  I  wonder  what  is  in  this  wrapper  which  the  king 
hath  given  us  among  the  rarities.  So  he  took  it,  and  took  a  candle,  and 
descended  from  the  couch,  leaving  Said  asleep  ;  and  he  entered  a  closet 
and  opened  the  wrapper ;  whereupon  he  saw  in  it  a  tunic  of  the  fabric  of 
the  Genii.  He  then  opened  the  tunic  and  spread  it  out,  and  found  upon 
the  lining  of  the  back  part  of  it  the  portrait  of  a  damsel,  delineated  in 
288 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

gold  ;  but  her  loveliness  was  wonderful.  When  he  saw  this  portrait,  his 
reason  fled  from  his  head  :  he  became  mad  with  love  of  it,  and  fell  upon 
the  floor  in  a  fit,  and  b:jgan  to  weep  and  wail,  and  to  slap  his  face  and  his 
bosom,  and  to  kiss  the  portrait.     Then  he  recited  these  two  verses  : 

Love,  at  its  commencement,  is  like  running  saliva.     Destiny  bringeth  it  and  ex- 

citeth  it. 
But  when  the  youth  plungeth  into  the  abysses  of  love,  events  occur  too  great  for 

him  to  bear. 

He  ceased  not  to  wail  and  weep,  and  to  slap  his  face  and  his  bosom,  until 
the  Vizier  Said  awoke,  and  looked  at  the  bed,  and  saw  not  Seifelmolouk ; 
but  he  saw  a  candle ;  and  he  said  within  himself,  Whither  is  Seifelmolouk 
gone  ?  He  then  took  the  candle,  and  proceeded  to  search  through  all  the 
palace  until  he  came  to  the  closet  in  which  Seifelmolouk  was,  when  he 
saw  him  weeping  violently  and  wailing.  So  he  said  to  him.  O  my  brother, 
for  what  reason  is  this  weeping  ?  What  hath  happened  to  thee  ?  Tell 
me,  and  acquaint  me  with  the  cause  of  this.  But  Seifelmolouk  spoke  not 
to  him,  nor  raised  his  head  :  he  still  wept  and  wailed,  and  struck  his  hand 
upon  his  bosom.  Therefore,  when  Said  saw  him  in  this  state,  he  said.  I  am 
thy  vizier  and  thy  brother,  and  I  was  reared  with  thee  ;  and  if  thou  do  not 
discover  to  me  thine  affairs,  and  make  me  acquainted  with  thy  secret,  to 
whom  wilt  thou  reveal  thy  secret,  and  whom  wilt  thou  make  acquainted 
with  it?  And  Said  ceased  not  to  humble  himself  and  to  kiss  the  ground 
for  some  time,  while  Seifelmolouk  looked  not  toward  him,  nor  spoke  to  him 
a  single  word  ;  but  continued  weeping.  And  when  his  state  alarmed  Said, 
and  his  case  wearied  him,  he  went  forth  from  him,  and,  taking  a  sword,  en- 
tered the  closet  in  which  was  Seifelmolouk,  and  put  the  point  of  the  sword 
to  his  own  bosom,  and  said  to  Seifelmolouk,  Rouse  thyself,  O  my  brother! 
If  thou  tell  me  not  what  hath  happened  to  thee,  I  will  slay  myself,  rather 
than  see  thee  in  this  state.  So  upon  this  Seifelmolouk  raised  his  head  to- 
ward his  Vizier  Said,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  I  was  ashamed  to  tell 
thee  and  to  acquaint  thee  with  that  which  hath  happened  to  me.  But  Said 
replied,  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah,  the  Lord  of  lords,  and  the  Liberator  of 
necks,  and  the  Cause  of  causes,  the  One,  the  Gracious,  the  Bountiful,  the 
Liberal,  that  thou  tell  me  what  it  is  that  hath  happened  to  thee,  and  be 
not  abashed  at  me ;  for  I  am  thy  slave,  and  thy  vizier,  and  thy  counselor 
in  all  affairs.  And  Seifelmolouk  said,  Come,  look  at  this  portrait.  And 
when  Said  saw  that  portrait,  he  contemplated  it  for  some  time,  and  saw  in- 
scribed upon  the  head  of  it,  in  pearls  arranged,  This  is  the  portrait  of  Bedia 
Eljemal  the  daughter  of  Shahyal  the  son  of  Sharokh,  one  of  the  kings  of  (Ik; 
believing  Genii,  who  sojourn  in  the  city  of  Babil,  and  dwell  in  the  Garden  of 
Irem  of  the  son  of  Ad  the  Greater.  Upon  this  the  Vizier  Said  said  to 
the  King  Seifelmolouk,  O  my  brother,  knowest  thou  who  among  women  is 
the  original  of  this  portrait,  that  we  may  search  for  her?  Seifelmolouk 
answered,  No,  by  Allah,  (J  my  brother,  I  know  not  the  original  of  this 
portrait.  And  Said  replied,  Come,  read  this  inscription.  So  Seifelmolouk 
advanced,  and  read  the  inscription  that  was  upon  the  crown,  and  knew 
its  purport ;  and  thereupon  he  uttered  a  loud  ciy  from  the  bottom  of  his 
bosom,  and  said,  Ah  !  ah  !  ah  !  But  Said  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  if  the 
original  of  this  portrait  be  in  existence,  and  her  name  be  Bedia  Eljemal,  and 
she  be  in  the  world,  I  will  hasten  to  seek  her  without  delay,  that  thou  mav- 
est  attain  thy  desiro.  I  conjure  thee,  then,  bv  Allah,  (J  my  brother,  that 
Vol.  II.  — N  '   289 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

thou  relinquish  weeping,  in  order  that  thou  mayest  introduce  the  people  of 
the  empire  to  wait  upon  thee ;  and  when  the  morning  cometh,  summon 
the  merchants,  and  the  poor  devotees,  and  the  travelers,  and  the  needy, 
and  inquire  of  them  respecting  the  particulars  of  this  city.  Perhaps  some 
one,  by  the  blessing  of  God  (whose  perfection  be  extolled,  and  whose 
name  be  exalted  !),  and  by  his  aid,  may  direct  us  to  it,  and  to  the  Garden 
of  Irem. 

Accordingly,  when  the  morning  came,  Seifelmolouk  arose,  and  ascended 
the  throne,  hugging  the  tunic ;  for  from  this  time  he  neither  rose  nor  sat 
down,  nor  would  sleep  come  to  him,  unless  it  were  with  him.  So  the 
emirs,  and  viziers,  and  the  troops,  and  the  lords  of  the  empire  came  in  to 
him  ;  but  when  the  court  was  fully  attended,  and  the  assembly  was  ranged 
in  order,  the  King  Seifelmolouk  said  to  his  Vizier  Said,  Go  forth  to  them, 
and  say  to  them  that  the  king  hath  experienced  an  indisposition,  and  that 
he  passed  not  last  night  save  in  a  state  of  illness.  The  Vizier  Said  there- 
fore went  forth,  and  acquainted  the  people  with  that  which  the  king  had 
said.  And  when  the  King  Asim  heard  that,  the  case  of  his  son  was  not  a 
light  matter  to  him  ;  wherefore,  upon  this,  he  summoned  the  sages  and  the 
astrologers,  and  went  in  with  them  to  his  son  Seifelmolouk  ;  and  they  look- 
ed at  him,  and  prescribed  for  him  a  beverage,  and  he  remained  in  his  place 
during  a  period  of  three  months.  So  the  King  Asim  said  to  the  sages  who 
were  present,  being  enraged  against  them,  Woe  to  you,  O  dogs !  Are  ye 
all  unable  to  cure  my  son  ?  Now  if  ye  cure  him  not  immediately,  I  will 
slay  you  all !  Their  chief  replied,  O  king  of  the  age,  we  know  that  this  is 
thy  son,  and  thou  knowest  that  we  are  not  neglectful  in  the  cure  of  the  stran- 
ger :  how,  then,  should  we  be  so  with  respect  to  the  cure  of  thy  son  ?  But 
thy  son  hath  a  difficult  disease  :  if  thou  desire  to  know  it,  we  will  mention  it 
to  thee,  and  inform  thee  of  it.  The  King  Asim  said,  What  hath  appeared  to 
you  in  the  disease  of  my  son  ?  So  the  chief  sage  answered  him,  O  king 
of  the  age,  verily  thy  son  is  now  enamored,  and  loveth  a  person  with  whom 
there  is  no  way  of  effecting  a  union.  And  upon  this  the  King  Asim  was 
enraged,  and  said,  How  learned  ye  that  my  son  is  enamored,  and  how  came 
love  unto  my  son  ?  They  therefore  answered  him,  Ask  his  brother  and 
his  vizier,  Said,  for  he  is  the  person  who  knoweth  his  state.  And  the  King 
Asim  arose,  and,  having  entered  a  closet  alone,  summoned  Said,  and  said  to 
him,  Tell  me  the  true  nature  of  the  disease  of  my  son.  But  he  replied,  I 
know  not  its  true  nature.  And  the  king  said  to  the  executioner,  Take  Said, 
bind  his  eyes,  and  smite  off  his  head.  So  Said  feared  for  himself,  and 
said,  O  king  of  the  age,  give  me  promise  of  indemnity.  And  he  replied, 
Tell  me,  and  thou  shalt  be  safe.  Then  Said  said  to  him,  Verily  thy  son  is 
enamored.  And  who,  asked  the  king,  is  the  object  of  his  passion  ?  Said 
answered,  The  daughter  of  one  of  the  kings  of  the  Genii;  for  he  saw  her 
portrait  upon  a  tunic  in  the  wrapper  which  Solomon  the  Prophet  of  God 
gave  you. 

And  thereupon  the  King  Asim  arose  and  went  in  to  his  son  Seifelmolouk, 
and  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  what  hath  afflicted  thee,  and  what  is  this  por- 
trait of  which  thou  hast  become  enamored,  and  why  didst  thou  not  inform 
me?  Seifelmolouk  answered,  O  my  father,  I  was  abashed  at  thee,  and  I 
was  not  able  to  mention  to  thee  that  matter,  nor  could  I  acquaint  any  one 
with  aught  of  it ;  but  now  thou  knowest  my  state  :  see,  then,  how  thou  wilt 
act  to  effect  mv  cure.  His  father  said  to  him,  What  expedient  shall  he 
S90 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  Ax\D  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

employed  ?  Were  this  of  the  daughters  of  mankind,  we  would  contrive 
nn  expedient  to  obtain  access  to  her;  but  she  is  of  the  daughters  of  the 
kings  of  the  Genii ;  and  who  is  able  to  gain  possession  of  her,  unless  it  be 
Solomon  the  son  of  David  ?  for  he  is  the  person  who  can  effect  that.     But, 

0  my  son,  arise  immediately,  and  strengthen  thyself,  and  mount,  and  go 
to  the  chase,  and  to  the  games  in  the  horse-course  ;  employ  thyself  also  in 
eating  and  drinking,  and  dismiss  anxiety  and  grief  from  thy  heart.  I  will 
bring  thee  a  hundred  damsels  of  the  daughters  of  kings,  and  thou  hast  no 
need  of  the  daughters  of  the  Genii,  over  whom  we  have  no  power,  and  who 
are  not  of  our  species.     But  he  replied,  I  will  not  relinquish  her,  nor  will 

1  seek  any  other  than  her.  So  his  father  said  to  him,  How  shall  it  be  done, 
O  my  son  ?  And  he  answered  him,  Bring  to  us  all  the  merchants,  and 
the  travelers  and  wanderers  throughout  the  countries,  that  we  may  in- 
quire of  them  respecting  this.  Perhaps  God  will  direct,  us  to  the  Garden 
of  Irem  and  to  the  city  of  Babil.  The  King  Asim  therefore  commanded 
that  every  merchant  in  the  city  should  present  himself,  and  every  stranger 
in  it,  and  every  sea  captain  ;  and  when  they  came,  he  asked  them  re- 
specting the  city  of  Babil  and  its  country,  and  respecting  the  Garden 
of  [rem.     Not  one  of  them,  however,  knew  these  places,  or  gave  any  in- 


Consultation  of  the  merchants  and  travelers. 


formation  of  them.  But  on  the  breaking  up  of  the  assembly,  one  of  them 
said,  O  king  of  the  age,  if  thou  desire  to  know  that,  inquire  in  the  country 
of  China;  for  it  hath  a  great  city,  and  perhaps  some  one  of  that  place  may 
direct  thee  to  the  object  of  thy  desire.  And  upon  this  Seifelmolouk  said, 
O  my  father,  fit  out  for  me  a  ship  for  the  voyage  to  the  land  of  China.  His 
father  replied,  O  my  son,  sit  thou  upon  the  throne  of  thy  kingdom,  and  rule 

291 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

the  people,  and  I  will  make  the  voyage  to  the  land  of  China,  and  go  my- 
self on  this  business.  But  Seifelmolouk  said,  O  my  father,  this  affair  con- 
cerneth  me,  and  no  one  can  seek  to  accomplish  it  like  myself,  and  whatever 
may  happen,  if  thou  give  me  permission  to  make  the  voyage,  I  will  do  so, 
and  be  absent  for  a  period  of  time.  If  I  find  any  tidings  of  her,  my  desire 
is  attained  ;  and  if  T  find  no  tidings  of  her,  by  the  voyage  I  shall  experience 
dilatation  of  my  bosom,  and  enlivenment  of  my  heart ;  by  this  means  my 
case  will  become  easy  ;  and  if  I  live,  I  shall  return  to  thee  safe.  And  the 
king  looked  at  his  son,  and  saw  for  himself  no  resource  but  doing  for  him 
that  which  would  content  him.  So  he  gave  him  permission  to  make  the 
voyage,  and  fitted  out  for  him  forty  ships,  and  a  thousand  mamlouks,  be- 
sides servants,  and  gave  him  wealth  and  treasures,  with  every  thing  that  he 
required  of  implements  of  war;  and  he  said  to  him,  Set  forth  on  thy  voy- 
age, O  my  son,  in  prosperity,  and  health,  and  safety.  I  commit  thee  unto 
Him  with  whom  deposits  are  not  lost. 

Then  his  father  and  his  mother  bade  him  farewell,  the  ships  were  laden 
with  water,  and  provisions,  and  arms,  and  soldiers,  and  they  commenced 
the  voyage.  They  ceased  not  to  pursue  their  course  until  they  arrived  at 
the  capital  of  China;  and  when  the  people  of  China  heard  that  there  had 
come  to  them  forty  ships  filled  with  men,  and  equipages,  and  arms,  and 
stores,  they  made  sure  that  they  were  enemies  who  had  come  to  attack 
them  and  besiege  them ;  wherefore  they  closed  the  gates  of  the  city  and 
prepared  the  catapults.  So  when  the  King  Seifelmolouk  heard  of  this,  he 
sent  to  them  two  of  his  favorite  mamlouks,  and  said  to  them,  Go  ye  to  the 
King  of  China,  and  say  to  him,  This  is  Seifelmolouk,  the  son  of  the  King 
Asim ;  he  hath  come  unto  thy  city  as  a  guest,  to  divert  himself  in  thy 
country  for  a  period  of  time,  and  not  to  fight,  nor  to  contend  :  so  if  thou 
wilt  receive  him,  he  will  land  to  visit  thee  ;  and  if  thou  wilt  not  receive  him, 
he  will  return,  and  not  trouble  thee  nor  the  people  of  thy  city.  Accord- 
ingly, the  mamlouks,  on  their  arriving  at  the  city,  said  to  its  inhabitants, 
We  are  envoys  of  the  King  Seifelmolouk.  They  therefore  opened  to  them 
the  gate,  and  went  with  them,  and  presented  them  before  their  king.  His 
name  was  Faghfour*  Shah ;  and  there  had  existed  between  him  and  the 
King  Asim,  before  that  period,  an  acquaintance.  So  when  he  heard  that 
the  king  who  had  come  to  him  was  Seifelmolouk,  the  son  of  the  King  Asim, 
he  bestowed  robes  of  honor  upon  the  envoys,  and  gave  orders  to  open  the 
gates.  He  also  prepared  the  gifts  of  hospitality,  and  went  forth  himself, 
with  the  favorite  officers  of  his  empire,  and  came  to  Seifelmolouk;  and 
they  embraced  each  other.  He  said  to  him,  A  friendly,  and  free,  and  am- 
ple welcome  to  him  who  hath  come  unto  us !  I  am  thy  mamlouk,  and  the 
mamlouk  of  thy  father;  my  city  is  at  thy  disposal,  and  every  thing  that 
thou  demandest  shall  be  brought  unto  thee.  And  he  presented  to  him 
the  gifts  of  hospitality,  and  provisions  [for  him  and  his  people],  at  their 
stati&ns.  Then  the  King  Seifelmolouk  mounted,  and  Said,  his  vizier,  and 
with  them  their  favorite  officers  and  the  rest  of  the  soldiers,  and  they  pro- 
ceeded along  the  sea-shore  until  they  entered  the  city,  when  the  cymbals 
were  beaten,  and  the  drums,  to  announce  the  happy  event;  and  they  re- 
mained there  for  a  period  of  forty  days,  well  entertained. 

*  Faghfour  is  a  corruption  of  the  ancient  Persian  expression  Bag-puter,  or  Bhag- 
putra,  meaning  "Son  of  the  Illustrious." 
292 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

After  this  the  King  of  China  said  to  Seifelmolouk,  O  son  of  my  brother, 
how  art  thou  ?  Hath  my  country  pleased  thee  ?  Seifelmolouk  answered 
him,  May  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  make  it  ever  to  be  honored  by  thy 
rule,  O  king!  And  the  King  Faghfour  Shah  said,  Naught  hath  brought 
thee  hither  save  some  affair  that  hath  occurred  to  thee ;  and  whatever 
thing  thou  desirest  to  obtain  from  my  country,  I  will  accomplish  it  for  thee. 
So  Seifelmolouk  replied,  O  king,  verily  my  case  is  wonderful ;  and  it  is  this  : 
I  have  become  enamored  of  a  portrait  of  Bedia  Eljemal.  And  upon  this 
the  King  of  China  wept  in  pity  and  compassion  for  him,  and  said  to  him, 
And  what  desirest  thou  now,  O  Seifelmolouk  ?  He  answered  him,  I  de- 
sire of  thee  that  thou  bring  unto  me  all  the  wanderers  and  travelers,  and 
those  who  are  accustomed  to  journeys,  that  I  may  inquire  of  them  re- 
specting the  original  of  this  portrait.  Perhaps  some  one  of  them  may  give 
me  information  respecting  her.  The  King  Faghfour  Shah  therefore  sent 
the  lieutenants,  and  chamberlains,  and  guards,  and  commanded  them  to 
bring  all  the  wanderers  and  travelers  who  were  in  the  country.  So  they 
brought  them  ;  and  they  were  a  numerous  company  ;  and  they  assembled 
before  the  King  Faghfour  Shah.  Then  the  King  Seifelmolouk  inquired 
respecting  the  city  of  Babil  and  the  Garden  of  Irem  ;  but  none  of  them  re- 
turned him  an  answer;  wherefore  the  King  Seifelmolouk  was  perplexed 
at  his  case.  After  that,  however,  one  of  the  sea  captains  said,  O  king,  if 
thou  desire  to  know  this  city  and  that  garden,  inquire  in  the  islands  that 
appertain  to  India. 

So  thereupon  Seifelmolouk  commanded  that  they  should  bring  the  ships  ; 
and  they  did  so,  and  stored  them  with  water,  and  provisions,  and  all  that 
they  required ;  after  which  Seifelmolouk  embarked  with  Said,  his  vizier, 
having  bidden  farewell  to  the  King  Faghfour  Shah,  and  they  continued 
their  course  over  the  sea  for  a  period  of  four  months,  with  a  fair  wind,  safe 
and  secure.  But  it  happened  that  there  arose  against  them  a  wind  one 
day;  the  billows  came  upon  them  from  every  quarter,  the  rain  descended 
upon  them,  and  the  sea  became  changed  by  the  violence  of  the  wind.  The 
ships  dashed  one  against  another  by  reason  of  the  force  of  the  wind,  and 
all  fell  to  pieces,  as  also  did  the  small  boats  [excepting  one],  and  they  were 
all  submerged  but  Seifelmolouk,  with  a  party  of  his  mamlouks,  who  re- 
mained in  a  small  boat.  Then  the  wind  became  stilled  and  calmed  by  the 
power  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  the  sun  rose,  and  Seifelmo 
louk,  opening  his  eyes,  saw  not  any  of  the  ships,  nor  saw  he  aught  save 
the  sky,  and  the  water,  and  himself,  and  those  who  were  with  him  in  the 
little  boat.  So  he  said  to  the  mamlotiks  who  were  with  him,  Where  aro 
the  ships,  and  the  small  boats,  and  where  is  my  brother  Said?  They  an- 
swered him,  O  king  of  the  ago,  there  remain  not  ships,  nor  boats,  nor 
those  who  were  in  them  ;  for  they  arc  all  submerged,  and  have  become 
food  for  the  fishes.  And  thereupon  Seifelmolouk  called  out,  and  repeated 
a  sentence  the  utterer  of  which  is  secure  from  confusion  ;  that  is,  There 
is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  Then  he  be- 
gan to  slap  his  face,  and  desired  to  cast  himself  into  the  sea  ;  but  the  mam- 
louks prevented  him,  and  said  to  him,  O  king,  what  advantage  would  ariso 
to  thee  from  this  7  Thou  hast  done  with  thyself  thus,  and  hadst  thou  at- 
tended to  the  words  of  thy  father,  naught  of  this  had  happened  to  thee. 
But  all  this  was  written  from  eternity  by  the  will  of  the  Creator  of  souls, 
and  the  servant  must  experience  the  accomplishment  of  that  which  God 

293 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 


SStorxu  at  sea. 


hath  decreed  to  befall  him.  The  astrologers  said  to  thy  father  at  thy  birth, 
Verily  all  these  difficulties  will  befall  this  thy  son.  And  in  this  case  we 
have  no  resource  but  to  be  patient  until  God  shall  dispel  from  us  the  afflic- 
tion in  which  we  are  involved.  And  Seifelmolouk  said,  There  is  no  strength 
nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  There  is  no  place  of  refuge 
from  that  which  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  decreeth,  nor  any  flight 
therefrom  !     Then  he  sighed,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

I  am  perplexed,  by  the  Compassionate!  without  doubt,  in  my  case;  and  trouble 

hath  befallen  me  from  sources  unknown  to  me  ! 
I  will  be  patient,  that  mankind  may  know  me  to  have  borne  with  patience  that 

which  is  more  bitter  than  aloes. 
The  taste  of  bitter  aloes  is  not  like  my  patience ;  for  I  have  borne  with  patience 

what  is  hotter  than  live  coals. 
I  have  no  resource  in  my  present  case ;  but  1  commit  my  affairs  to  the  Disposer 

of  events. 

He  was  drowned  in  the  sea  of  solicitudes,  and  his  tears  ran  down  his 
cheek  like  a  copious  rain  ;  and  he  slept  for  a  period  of  the  day,  after  which 
he  awoke,  and  demanded  some  food.  So  he  ate  until  he  was  satisfied,  and 
they  removed  the  provision  from  before  him.  The  boat  proceeded  with 
them,  and  they  knew  not  whither  it,  was  conveying  them  ;  and  it  ceased 
not  to  bear  them  along  with  the  waves  and  the  winds  night  and  day  for  a 
long  period  of  time,  until  their  provision  was  exhausted,  and  they  were 
confounded,  and  became  in  a  state  of  the  most  violent  hunger,  and  thirst, 
294 


STORY  OF  SE1FELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

and  agitation.  But  lo,  an  island  appeared  to  them  in  the  distance,  and  the 
winds  drove  them  on  until  they  arrived  at  it;  whereupon  they  made  fast 
their  boat  to  it,  and  landed,  leaving  one  in  the  boat.  They  went  on  upon 
that  island,  and  saw  upon  it  many  fruits  of  all  kinds,  and  ate  of  them  until 
they  were  satisfied.  And  lo,  there  was  a  person  sitting  among  the  trees, 
long-faced,  of  strange  appearance,  with  white  beard  and  skin  ;  and  he  called 
to  one  of  the  mamlouks  by  his  name,  and  said  to  him,  Eat  not  of  these 
fruits  ;  for  they  are  not  ripe  ;  but  come  to  me  that  I  may  give  thee  to  eat 
of  these  ripe  fruits.  And  the  mamlouk  looked  at  him,  and  imagined  that 
he  was  of  the  number  of  those  who  were  submerged,  and  that  he  had 
landed  upon  this  island.  So  he  rejoiced  extremely  at  the  sight  of  him,  and 
walked  on  until  he  came  near  to  him ;  this  mamlouk  not  knowing  what 
was  secretly  ordained  to  befall  him,  and  what  was  written  upon  his  fore- 
head. And  when  he  came  near  to  him,  that  person  leaped  upon  him  ;  for 
he  was  a  Marid  ;  and,  mounting  upon  his  shoulders,  he  wound  one  of  his 
legs  round  his  neck,  and  hung  the  other  down  his  back,  and  said  to  him, 
Walk  on  :  there  remaineth  for  thee  no  escape  from  me,  and  thou  hast  be- 
come my  ass.  The  mamlouk  thereupon  called  out  to  his  companions,  and 
began  to  weep,  and  to  say,  Alas,  my  master  !  Go  ye  forth  and  save  your- 
selves from  this  wood,  and  flee  ye;  for  one  of  its  inhabitants  hath  mount- 
ed upon  my  shoulders,  and  the  rest  seek  you,  and  desire  to  mount  you 
like  me.  So  when  they  heard  these  words  which  the  mamlouk  uttered, 
they  all  fled,  and  embarked  in  the  boat;  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  island 
followed  them  into  the  sea,  saying  to  them,  Whither  go  ye  ?  Come  and 
remain  with  us,  that  we  may  ride  upon  your  backs,  and  we  will  give  you 
food  and  drink,  and  ye  shall  be  our  asses.  Therefore,  on  their  hearing  from 
them  these  words,  they  hastened  in  their  course  upon  the  sea  until  they 
were  far  from  them  ;  and  they  proceeded  relying  upon  God,  whose  name 
be  exalted  ! 

They  ceased  not  to  proceed  in  this  manner  for  the  space  of  a  month,  till 
another  island  appeared  to  them ;  and  they  landed  upon  that  island,  and 
saw  there  fruits  of  various  kinds.  So  they  busied  themselves  with  eating 
the  fruits  ;  and  lo,  they  saw  something  in  the  way,  appearing  in  the  dis- 
tance ;  and  when  they  drew  near  to  it,  they  looked  at  it,  and  saw  it  to  be 
a  creature  of  hideous  appearance,  lying  down,  like  a  column  of  silver. 
And  a  mamlouk  struck  it  with  his  foot;  and  behold,  it  was  a  person  with 
long  ears  and  cloven  head,  and  he  was  hidden  beneath  one  of  his  ears  ;  for 
it  was  his  habit,  when  he  slept,  to  put  one  of  his  ears  beneath  his  head, 
and  to  cover  himself  with  the  other  ear.  He  then  seized  the  mamlouk 
who  struck  him,  and  went  with  him  into  the  midst  of  the  island  ;  and  lo, 
it  was  all  occupied  by  Ghouls,  who  ate  the  sons  of  Adam.  And  there- 
upon that  mamlouk  called  out  to  his  companions  and  said  to  them,  Save 
yourselves  ;  for  this  island  is  the  island  of  the  Ghouls,  who  eat  the  sons  of 
Adam,  and  they  desire  to  cut  me  up  and  eat  me.  So  when  they  heard 
these  words,  they  turned  back  in  flight,  and  descended  from  the  shore  into 
the  boat,  without  having  collected  aught  of  the  fruits. 

They  proceeded  for  some  days,  and  it  happened  that  there  appeared  to 
them,  one  day,  another  island;  and  when  they  arrived  at  it,  they  found 
upon  it  a  high  mountain,  which  they  ascended,  and  they  found  upon  the 
mountain  a  wood  of  many  trees;  and  they  were  hungry;  wherefore  they 
busied  themselves  with  eating  of  the  fruits.     Hut  they  were  not  aware 

295 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

when  there  came  forth  to  them,  from  among  the  trees,  persons  of  horrible 
aspect,  and  tall ;  the  height,  of  each  of  them  was  fifty  cubits,  and  his  dog- 
teeth protruded  from  his  mouth  like  the  tusks  of  the  elephant.  And  lo, 
they  found  a  person  sitting  upon  a  piece  of  black  felt  on  a  rock,  and  around 
him  were  the  Ethiopians,  a  numerous  company,  standing  in  attendance 
upon  him.  Then  these  Ethiopians  came,  and  took  Seifelmolouk  and  his 
mamlouks,  and,  having  stationed  them  before  their  king,  said,  We  found 
these  birds  among  the  trees.  And  the  king  was  hungry  ;  so  he  took  two 
of  the  mamlouks,  and  slaughtered  them  and  ate  them.  Therefore,  when 
Seifelmolouk  beheld  this  thing,  he  feared  for  himself,  and  wept ;  and  he 
recited  these  two  verses  : 

Calamities  have  become  familiar  with  my  heart,  and  I  wish  them,  after  shunning 

them;  for  the  generous  is  habitually  familiar. 
The  anxieties  that  I  suffer  are  not  of  one  description:  I  have  (praise  be  to  God!) 

thousands  of  them. 

Then  he  sighed,  and  recited  also  this  couplet: 

Fortune  hath  smitten  me  so  with  disasters,  that  my  heart  is  covered  with  its 

arrows  ; 
And  now,  when  other  arrows  strike  me,  their  points  break  against  the  points  in 

my  heart. 

And  when  the  king  heard  his  weeping  and  lamentation,  he  said,  Verily 
these  birds  have  an  agreeable  voice  and  modulation,  and  their  voices  have 
pleased  me  :  so  put  ye  each  one  of  them  into  a  cage.  Accordingly,  they 
put  each  of  them  into  a  cage,  and  they  hung  them  over  the  head  of  the 
king  that  he  might  hear  their  voices.  Thus  Seifelmolouk  and  his  mam- 
louks became  imprisoned  in  the  cages,  and  the  Ethiopians  gave  them  food 
and  drink ;  and  at  times  they  wept  and  at  times  laughed,  and  at  times 
they  talked  and  at  times  were  silent;  the  King  of  the  Ethiopians  all  the 
while  delighting  in  their  voices  ;  and  they  ceased  not  to  remain  in  this 
state  for  a  length  of  time. 

•  Now  the  king  had  a  married  daughter  in  another  island  ;  and  she  heard 
that  her  father  had  birds  of  agreeable  voices ;  so  she  sent  a  party  of  her 
people  to  her  father  to  request  of  him  some  of  these  birds.  Her  father 
therefore  sent  to  her  Seifelmolouk  and  three  mamlouks,  in  four  cages,  with 
the  envoy  who  came  to  request  them  ;  and  when  they  were  brought  to 
her,  and  she  beheld  them,  they  pleased  her,  and  she  ordered  her  attend- 
ants to  put  them  up  in  a  place  over  her  head.  So  Seifelmolouk  wondered 
at  the  events  that  had  befallen  him,  and  he  reflected  upon  the  glorious 
state  in  which  he  had  been  living,  and  began  to  weep  for  himself,  while 
the  three  mamlouks  also  wept  for  themselves  ;  and  all  the  time  the  king's 
daughter  believed  that  they  were  singing.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  king's 
daughter,  when  any  one  of  the  land  of  Egypt  or  any  other  country  fell  into 
her  possession,  and  pleased  her,  to  hold  him  in  high  estimation ;  and  it 
happened,  by  the  decree  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  and  his  pre- 
destination, that  when  she  saw  Seifelmolouk,  his  beauty  and  loveliness 
pleased  her,  and  his  stature  and  justness  of  form.  She  therefore  gave 
orders  to  treat  him  and  his  companions  with  honor,  and  caressed  him  ;  but 
he  showed  a  dislike  to  her;  and  upon  this  she  was  incensed  against  him 
and  his  mamlouks,  and  commanded  them  to  serve  her,  and  to  convey  to 
her  the  water  and  the  fire-wood.  They  continued  to  do  thus  for  four 
years,  and  this  state  wearied  Seifelmolouk  :  so  he  sent  to  intercede  with 
296 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 


The  queen  and  her  captives. 

the  queen,  hoping  that  she  would  liberate  them,  and  that  they  might  go 
their  way  and  be  relieved  from  their  present  state,  but  she  refused  ;  and 
Scifelmolouk  and  the  mamlouks  remained  with  her  upon  the  island  in  the 
same  condition.  The  inhabitants  of  the  island  knew  that  they  were  the 
birds  of  the  king's  daughter;  wherefore  none  of  the  people  of  the  city 
dared  to  hurt  them  in  any  way ;  and  the  heart  of  the  king's  daughter  was 
at  ease  respecting  them,  and  she  felt  certain  that  there  was  no  escape  for 
them  from  this  island.  So  they  used  to  absent  themselves  from  her  for 
two  days,  and  three,  and  to  go  about  the  desert  to  collect  fire-wood  from 
the  different  tracts  of  the  island,  and  to  bring  it  to  the  kitchen  of  the  king's 
daughter ;  and  they  continued  in  this  state  five  years. 

N*  297 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

After  this  it  happened  that  Seifelmolouk  sat  with  his  maralouks,  one 
day,  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea,  conversing  upon  the  events  that  had  occur- 
red ;  and  Seifelmolouk,  looking  aside,  and  seeing  himself  in  this  place  with 
his  mamlouks,  thought  upon  his  mother,  and  his  father,  and  his  brother 
Said,  and  upon  the  state  of  glory  in  which  he  had  lived,  and  he  wept,  and 
lamented,  and  wailed  exceedingly,  as  did  also  the  mamlouks.  Then  the 
mamlouks  said  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  how  long  shall  Ave  weep  ? 
Weeping  will  not  profit.  This  is  an  event  written  upon  our  foreheads  by 
the  predetermination  of  God  (to  whom  be  ascribed  might  and  glory !),  and 
the  pen  hath  written  what  He  hath  appointed,  and  naught  will  profit  us  but 
patience.  Perhaps  God  (whose  perfections  be  extolled,  and  whose  name 
be  exalted  !),  who  hath  afflicted  us  by  this  calamity,  will  dispel  it  from  us. 
And  Seifelmolouk  said  to  them,  O  my  brothers,  how  shall  we  coutrive  our 
escape  from  this  accursed  woman  ?  I  see  no  way  of  escape  for  us  unless 
God  deliver  us  from  her  by  his  favor.  But  it  hath  occurred  to  my  mind 
that  we  may  flee  and  be  at  ease  from  this  fatigue.  They  said  to  him,  O 
king  of  the  age,  whither  can  we  go  from  this  island,  which  is  all  occupied 
by  Ghouls  who  eat  the  sons  of  Adam  ?  In  every  place  to  which  we  might 
go  they  would  find  us,  and  they  would  either  eat  us,  or  take  us  prisoners 
and  bring  us  back  to  our  place,  and  the  king's  daughter  would  be  incensed 
against  us.  But  Seifelmolouk  replied,  I  will  do  for  you  something,  and 
perhaps  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  will  aid  «s  thereby  to  effect  our 
deliverance,  and  we  shall  escape  from  this  island.  So  they  said  to  him, 
How  wilt  thou  act?  And  he  answered,  We  will  cut  some  of  these  long 
pieces  of  wood,  and  twist  ropes  of  their  bark,  and  bind  one  to  another,  and 
make  tbem  a  raft,  which  we  will  launch  into  the  sea  and  lade  with  these 
fruits ;  and  we  will  make  for  it  oars,  and  embark  upon  it.  Perhaps  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  will  give  us  relief  by  means  of  it ;  for  he  is  able 
to  accomplish  every  thing;  and  perhaps  God  will  bless  us  with  a  fair  wind 
that  will  convey  us  to  the  land  of  India,  and  we  shall  escape  from  this  ac- 
cursed woman.  And  they  replied,  This  is  a  good  idea.  And  they  rejoiced 
at  it  exceedingly. 

They  began  immediately  to  cut  the  pieces  of  wood  for  making  the  raft. 
Then  they  twisted  the  ropes  to  bind  the  pieces  of  wood  together,  and  they 
persevered  in  this  work  for  the  space  of  a  month.  Every  day,  in  the 
evening,  they  took  some  fire-wood,  and  carried  it  to  the  kitchen  of  tho 
king's  daughter,  and  they  devoted  the  rest  of  the  day  to  their  work  in 
making  the  raft,  until  they  completed  it.  So  when  they  had  finished 
making  it,  they  launched  it  upon  the  sea,  and  laded  it  with  fruits  gathered 
from  the  trees  of  the  island,  and  prepared  themselves  at  the  close  of  the 
day,  not  having  acquainted  any  one  with  that  which  they  had  done.  Then 
they  embarked  upon  the  raft,  and  proceeded  over  the  sea  for  a  period  of 
four  months,  not  knowing  whither  they  were  borne.  Their  provisions 
were  exhausted,  and  they  had  become  in  a  state  of  the  most  violent  hunger 
and  thirst,  when  lo,  the  sea  frothed  and  foamed,  and  rose  in  high  waves, 
and  there  came  to  them  a  horrible  crocodile,  which  put  forth  its  fore  paw, 
and  seized  one  of  the  mamlouks,  and  swallowed  him.  Therefore,  when 
Seifelmolouk  saw  that  crocodile  do  thus  with  the  mnmlouk,  he  wept  vio- 
lently. He  remained  upon  the  raft,  with  the  two  other  mamlouks  alone, 
and  they  passed  on  to  a  distance  from  the  place  of  the  crocodile,  in  a  state 
of  fear.  They  ceased  not  to  remain  in  this  state  until  there  appeared  to 
298 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

them,  one  day,  a  great  mountain,  terrible,  lofty,  rising  high  into  the  air ; 
and  they  were  glad  at  the  sight  of  it ;  and  after  that  there  appeared  to 
them  an  island  :  so  they  pursued  their  course  to  it  with  diligence,  rejoicing 
at  their  arriving  there.  But  while  they  were  in  this  condition,  lo,  the  sea 
became  agitated,  and  its  waves  rose  high,  and  its  state  became  changed. 
Then  again  a  crocodile  raised  his  head,  stretched  forth  his  paw,  and  took 
the  two  remaining  mamlouks  of  Seifelmolouk,  and  swallowed  them. 

So  Seifelmolouk  remained  alone  until  he  arrived  at  the  island;  where- 
upon he  labored  till  he  had  ascended  the  mountain,  and  he  looked,  and 
saw  a  wood,  which  he  entered,  and  he  walked  among  the  trees,  and  began 
to  eat  of  the  fruits ;  but  he  saw  that  more  than  twenty  great  apes  had 
ascended  some  of  the  trees,  each  of  them  larger  than  a  mule.     Therefore. 


Apes. 


when  Seifelmolouk  beheld  these  apes,  violent  fear  came  upon  him.  Then 
the  apes  descended,  and  surrounded  him  on  every  side;  and  after  that 
they  walked  before  him,  making  a  sign  to  him  that  he  should  follow  them, 
and  went  on.  So  Seifelmolouk  walked  after  them ;  and  they  ceased  not 
to  proceed,  with  him  following  them,  until  they  came  to  a  castle  of  high 
structure,  with  lofty  angles.  They  entered  this  castle,  and  Seifelmolouk 
entered  behind  them,  and  he  beheld  in  it,  of  all  kinds  of  rarities,  and  jewels, 

299 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

and  minerals,  what  the  tongue  can  not  describe.  He  saw  also  in  this  castle 
a  young  man,  upon  the  sides  of  whose  face  hairs  had  not  begun  to  grow ; 
but  he  was  tall,  exceedingly  tall ;  and  when  Seifelmolouk  saw  this  young 
man,  he  was  cheered  by  his  company ;  and  there  was  not  in  that  castle 
any  one  of  mankind  besides  this  young  man.  The  young  man,  on  seeing 
Seifelmolouk,  was  pleased  with  him  extremely ;  and  he  said  to  him,  What 
is  thy  name,  and  from  what  country  art  thou,  and  how  earnest  thou  hither? 
Acquaint  me  with  thy  story,  and  conceal  not  of  it  aught.  Therefore 
Seifelmolouk  replied,  I,  by  Allah,  came  not  hither  by  my  own  choice,  nor 
was  this  place  the  object  of  my  desire,  nor  can  I  remain  in  a  place  until  I 
attain  what  I  seek.  And  what  is  it,  said  the  young  man,  that  thou  seekest  ? 
Seifelmolouk  answered  him,  I  am  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  my  name  is 
Seifelmolouk,  and  my  father  is  named  the  King  Asim  the  son  of  Safwan. 
Ele  then  related  to  him  the  events  that  had  happened  to  him  from  the  first 
of  the  case  to  the  last ;  and  thereupon  that  young  man  arose  and  betook 
himself  to  the  service  of  Seifelmolouk,  and  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  1  was 
in  Egypt,  and  heard  that  thou  hadst  gone  to  the  land  of  China;  and  how 
far  is  this  land  from  the  laud  of  China !  Verily  this  is  a  wonderful  thing 
and  an  extraordinary  case  !  Seifelmolouk  replied,  Thy  words  are  true ; 
but  after  that  I  proceeded  from  the  land  of  China  to  the  land  of  India,  and 
a  wind  arose  against  us,  and  the  sea  became  agitated,  and  all  the  ships  that 
were  with  me  went  to  pieces.  And  he  told  him  all  that  had  happened  to 
him,  until  he  said,  And  I  have  come  unto  thee  in  this  place.  The  young 
man  then  said  to  him,  O  son  of  the  king,  what  thou  hast  experienced  in 
this  absence  from  thy  country,  and  in  the  difficulties  that  have  attended  it, 
is  sufficient  for  thee,  and  praise  be  to  God  who  hath  brought  thee  to  this 
place  !  Reside  then  with  me,  that  I  may  be  cheered  by  thy  society  until  I 
die,  and  thou  shalt  be  king  over  this  region  ;  for  it  compriseth  this  island,  of 
which  no  limit  is  known.  Moreover,  these  apes  are  skilled  in  arts,  and 
every  thing  that  thou  shalt  demand  thou  wilt  find  here.  But  Seifelmolouk 
replied,  O  my  brother,  I  can  not  remain  in  any  place  until  my  affair  be  ac- 
complished, though  I  should  go  round  about  the  whole  world  inquiring 
respecting  the  object  of  my  desire.  Perhaps  God  will  cause  me  to  attain 
my  wish,  or  my  course  may  lead  me  to  a  place  wherein  my  appointed 
term  shall  end,  and  I  shall  die. 

The  young  man  then  looked  toward  an  ape,  and  made  a  sign  to  him  ; 
whereupon  the  ape  absented  himself  for  a  while  ;  after  which  he  came 
back,  accompanied  by  apes  with  silken  napkins  tied  to  their  waists  ;  and 
they  brought  forward  a  table,  and  put  upon  it  about  a  hundred  dishes  of 
gold  and  silver,  containing  all  kinds  of  viands,  and  the  apes  stood  in  the 
manner  of  servants  before  kings.  Next  he  made  a  sign  to  the  chamber- 
lains to  seat  themselves  :  so  they  sat ;  and  he  whose  custom  it  was  to  serve 
stood.  Then  they  ate  until  they  were  satisfied,  when  they  removed  the 
table,  and  brought  basins  and  ewers  of  gold,  and  they  washed  their  hands. 
And  after  that  they  brought  wine  vessels,  about  forty  vessels,  each  con 
taining  a  particular  kind  of  wine ;  and  they  drank,  and  enjoyed  themselves, 
and  were  merry,  and  their  time  was  pleasant ;  all  the  apes  dancing  and 
playing  while  the  eaters  were  occupied  in  eating.  So  when  Seifelmolouk 
beheld  this,  he  wondered  at  them,  and  forgot  the  difficulties  that  had  hap- 
pened to  him.  And  when  night  came,  they  lighted  the  candles,  and  put 
nem  in  candlesticks  of  gold  and  silver.  Then  they  brought  vessels  of  dried 
300 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

and  fresh  fruits,  and  they  ate  ;  and  when  the  time  for  sleep  came,  they 
spread  for  them  the  beds,  and  they  slept.  And  in  the  morning  the  young 
man  arose  as  he  was  wont,  and  he  woke  Seifelmolouk,  and  said  to  him, 
Put  forth  thy  head  from  this  window,  and  see  what  is  standing  beneath  the 
window.  He  therefore  looked,  and  he  saw  apes  that  filled  the  wide  waste 
and  all  the  desert  tract,  and  none  knew  the  number  of  those  apes  but  God, 
whose  name  be  exalted  !  So  Seifelmolouk  said,  These  are  numerous  apes, 
that  have  filled  the  open  country,  and  wherefore  have  they  assembled  at 
this  time  ?  And  the  young  man  answered  him,  This  is  their  custom  :  all 
who  are  in  the  island  have  come,  and  some  of  them  have  come  from  a 
distance  of  two  days'  journey,  or  three  days;  for  they  come  every  Satur- 
day, and  stand  here  until  I  awake  from  my  sleep  and  put  my  head  forth 
from  this  window ;  and  when  they  see  me,  they  kiss  the  ground  before 
me ;  after  which  they  depart  to  their  occupations.  And  he  put  forth  his 
head  from  the  window  so  that  they  saw  him;  and  when  they  beheld  him, 
they  kissed  the  ground  before  him  and  departed. 

Seifelmolouk  remained  with  the  young  man  during  the  space  of  a  whole 
mouth  ;  and  after  that,  he  bade  him  farewell,  and  departed.  The  young 
man  ordered  a  party  of  the  apes,  about  a  hundred,  to  journey  with  him ; 
and  they  journeyed  in  attendance  upon  Seifelmolouk  for  a  period  of  seven 
days,  until  they  had  conducted  him  to  the  extremity  of  their  country,  when 
they  bade  him  farewell,  and  returned  to  their  places.  Seifelmolouk  then 
journeyed  alone  over  the  mountains,  and  hills,  and  the  deserts,  and  wastes 
for  the  space  of  four  months,  one  day  hungry  and  another  day  satiated,  one 
day  eating  of  the  herbage  and  another  day  eating  of  the  fruits  of  the  trees. 
He  began  to  repent  of  that  which  he  had  done  with  himself,  and  of  his  go- 
ing forth  from  that  young  man,  and  he  desired  to  retrace  his  steps  to  him. 
But  he  saw  an  indistinct  black  object  appearing  in  the  distance  ;  so  he  said 
within  himself,  Is  this  a  black  city,  or  how  is  the  case  ?  But  I  will  not  re- 
turn until  I  see  what  this  indistinct  object  is.  And  when  he  came  near  to 
it,  he  saw  it  to  be  a  palace  of  lofty  structure.  He  who  built  it  was  Japhet 
the  son  of  Noah  (on  whom  be  peace  !),  and  it  was  the  palace  which  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted!)  hath  mentioned  in  his  Excellent  Book,  in  his 
words,  And  an  abandoned  well,  and  a  lofty  palace.  Seifelmolouk  seated 
himself  at  the  door  of  the  palace,  and  said  within  himself,  I  wonder  what 
is  the  state  of  the  interior  of  this  palace,  and  who  of  the  kings  is  within  it. 
Who  now  will  acquaint  mo  with  the  truth  of  the  case,  and  are  its  inhabit- 
ants of  mankind  or  of  the  Genii  ?  He  sat  meditating  for  some  time,  and 
found  not  any  one  entering  it  nor  any  coming  forth  from  it.  So  he  arose 
and  walked  forward,  relying  upon  God,  until  he  entered  the  palace  ;  and 
ho  counted  in  his  way  seven  entrance  passages ;  but  saw  no  one.  He  be- 
held, however,  on  his  right  hand,  three  doors,  and  before  him  a  door  over 
which  hung  a  curtain.  He  therefore  advanced  to  that  door,  and  lifted  the 
curtain  with  his  hand,  and  walked  on  within  the  door;  and  lo,  he  found  a 
great  raised  floor  spread  with  silkeu  carpets,  and  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
floor  was  a  couch  of  gold,  whereon  sat  a  damsel  whose  face  was  like  the 
moon ;  upon  her  was  the  apparel  of  kings,  and  she  resembled  a  bride  on 
the  night  of  her  display.  And  at  the  feet  of  the  couch  were  forty  tables, 
upon  which  were  dishes  of  gold  and  silver,  all  of  them  filled  with  rich  vi- 
ands. When  Seifelmolouk  beheld  her,  he  approached  her  and  saluted; 
and  she  returned  his  salutation,  and  said  to  him,  Art  thou  of  mankind  or  of 

301 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

the  Genii  ?  He  answered,  I  am  of  the  best  of  mankind  ;  for  I  am  a  king,  the 
son  of  a  king.  And  she  said  to  him,  What  dost  thou  desire  ?  Avail  thyself  of 
this  food,  and  after  that  relate  to  me  thy  story  from  first  to  last,  and  tell  me 
how  thou  earnest  to  this  place.  Seifelmolouk  therefore  seated  himself  at  a  ta- 
ble, and  removed  the  cover  from  it,  and,  being  hungry,  he  ate  of  those  dishes 
until  he  was  satiated,  and  washed  his  hands  ;  after  which  he  ascended  the 
couch  and  seated  himself  by  the  damsel,  who  thereupon  said  to  him,  Who  art 
thou,  and  what  is  thy  name,  and  whence  hast  thou  come,  and  who  brought 
thee  hither?  Seifelmolouk  replied,  As  to  me,  my  story  is  long.  And  she 
said  to  him,  Tell  me  whence  thou  art,  and  what  is  the  cause  of  thy  coming 
hither,  and  what  is  thy  desire.  But  he  replied,  Inform  thou  me  what  is  thy 
state,  and  what  is  thy  name,  and  who  brought  thee  hither,  and  wherefore 
thou  art  residing  in  this  place  alone.     And  the  damsel  said  to  him : 

My  name  is  Dowlet  Katoun;  I  am  daughter  of  the  King  of  India,  and 
my  father  dwelleth  in  the  city  of  Serendib.  He  hath  a  beautiful,  large 
garden  :  there  is  not  in  the  land  of  India  and  its  districts  any  superior  to 
it :  and  in  it  is  a  large  tank  :  and  I  entered  that  garden  one  day  with  my  fe- 
male slaves,  and  I  and  my  female  slaves  approached  and  descended  into  the 
tank,  and  we  proceeded  to  play  and  to  amuse  ourselves.  But  I  was  not 
aware  when  a  thing  like  a  cloud  came  down  upon  me,  and,  having  snatched 
me  away  from  among  my  female  slaves,  flew  with  me  between  heaven  and 
earth,  saying,  O  Dowlet  Katoun,  fear  not,  but  be  of  tranquil  heart.  Then 
he  flew  on  with  me  for  a  short  time  ;  after  which  he  put  me  down  in  this 
place,  and  immediately  became  transformed,  and  lo,  he  was  a  comely  young 


302 


The  son  of  the  Blue  King  carrying'  off  Dowlet  Katoun. 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

man,  of  youthful  beauty,  and  clean  in  apparel ;  and  he  said  to  me,  Dost 
thou  know  me  ?  I  answered,  No,  O  my  master.  And  he  said,  I  am  son 
of  the  Blue  King,  king  of  the  Genii,  and  my  father  dwelleth  in  the  Castle 
of  Colzum,  and  hath  under  his  authority  six  hundred  thousand  of  the  flying 
and  the  diving  Genii.  It  happened  to  me  that  I  was  on  a  journey,  going 
on  my  way,  and  I  saw  thee  and  became  enamored  of  thee,  and,  descending 
upon  thee,  seized  thee  from  among  the  female  slaves,  and  brought  thee  to 
this  lofty  palace,  which  is  my  place  and  my  abode.  No  one  ever  cometh 
to  it;  neither  any  of  the  Genii  nor  any  of  mankind  ;  and  from  India  to  this 
place  is  a  journey  of  a  hundred  and  twenty  years  :  so  be  sure  that  thou 
wilt  never  see  again  the  country  of  thy  father  and  thy  mother.  Reside 
then  with  me  in  this  place  with  tranquil  heart  and  mind,  and  I  will  bring  be- 
fore thee  whatever  thou  shalt  desire.  And  after  that  he  embraced  me 
and  kissed  me,  and  said  to  me,  Reside  here,  and  fear  not  aught.  Then  he 
left  me,  and  was  absent  from  me  a  while ;  after  which  he  came  bringing 
these  tables,  and  the  furniture  and  carpets.  But  he  cometh  to  me  every 
Tuesday,  and  remaineth  with  me  three  days ;  and  on  Friday  he  remaineth 
till  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  when  he  departeth,  and  he  is  absent  until 
the  Tuesday  :  then,  again,  he  remaineth  with  me  in  the  same  manner. 
When  he  cometh,  he  eateth  and  drinketh  with  me,  and  embraceth  me 
and  kisseth  me ;  but  he  hath  not  induced  me  to  become  his  wife.  My 
father  is  named  Tajelmolouk ;  and  he  knoweth  no  tidings  of  me,  nor  hath 
he  discovered  any  trace  of  me.  This  is  my  story  :  now  tell  me  thy  story. 
Upon  this  Seifelmolouk  said  to  her,  Verily  my  story  is  long,  and  I  fear 
that,  if  I  tell  it  thee,  the  time  which  it  will  require  will  be  too  long  for  us,  and 
the  Afrite  will  come.  But  she  replied,  He  did  not  depart  from  me  more 
tlian  a  little  while  before  thine  entrance,  and  he  cometh  not  save  on  Tues- 
day :  therefore  remain  arid  be  at  ease,  and  gladden  thy  heart,  and  relate  to 
me  what  hath  happened  to  thee  from  first  to  last.  So  Seifelmolouk  said,  I 
hear  and  obey.  And  he  commenced  his  story,  and  proceeded  with  it  until 
lie  had  related  the  whole  of  it  from  beginning  to  end  ;  and  when  he  came 
to  the  mention  of  Bedia  Eljemal,  her  eyes  filled  with  copious  tears,  and 
she  said,  It  is  not  as  I  imagined  of  thee,  O  Bedia  Eljemal  !  Alas,  for  the 
conduct  of  fortune !  O  Bedia  Eljemal,  dost  thou  not  remember  me,  nor 
say,  My  sister  Dowlet  Katoun,  whither  hath  she  gone  ?  Then  she  wept 
exceedingly,  and  lamented  that  Bedia  Eljemal  had  not  remembered  her. 
Seifelmolouk  therefore  said  to  her,  O  Dowlet  Katoun,  thou  art  a  human 
being,  and  she  is  a  Fairy  :  how,  then,  can  this  be  thy  sister  ?  She  replied, 
She  is  my  foster-sister ;  and  the  cause  was  this  :  my  mother  went  down 
to  divert  herself  in  the  garden,  and,  her  time  coming,  she  gave  birth  to  me 
in  the  garden  :  and  the  mother  of  Bedia  Eljemal  was  in  the  garden,  she 
and  her  attendant  Genies,  and  her  time  came;  so  she  sojourned  in  a  tract 
of  the  garden,  and  she  gave  birth  to  Bedia  Eljemal.  Then  she  sent  one 
of  her  female  slaves  to  my  mother  to  demand  of  her  some  food  and  neces- 
sary clothing,  and  my  mother  sent  to  her  what  she  demanded,  and  invited 
her.  She  therefore  arose,  and,  taking  Bedia  Eljemal  with  her,  came  to 
my  mother,  and  my  mother  suckled  Bedia  Eljemal;  and  her  mother  and 
she  remained  with  us  in  the  garden  for  the  space  of  two  months ;  after 
which  she  journeyed  to  her  country  ;  and  she  gave  to  my  mother  a  thing, 
saying  to  her,  When  thou  wan  test  me  I  will  come  to  thee  in  the  midst  of 
the  garden.     Bedia  Eljemal  used  to  come  with  her  mother  every  year,  and 

303 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

they  used  to  remain  with  us  some  time,  and  then  to  return  to  their  country ; 
and  if  I  were  with  my  mother,  O  Seifelmolouk,  and  beheld  thee  with  us  in 
our  country,  and  we  were  united  as  usual,  I  would  employ  some  stratagem 
against  Bedia  Eljemal  so  as  to  make  thee  attain  thy  desire  ;  but  I  am  in  this 
place,  and  they  know  not  my  case.  If  they  were  acquainted  with  my  case, 
aud  knew  me  to  be  here,  they  could  effect  my  deliverance  from  this  place  ; 
but  the  affair  is  God's  (whose  perfection  be  extolled,  and  whose  name  be 
exalted  !),  and  what  can  I  do  ? 

Seifelmolouk  then  said  to  her,  Arise,  come  with  me :  we  will  flee,  and 
go  whither  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  pleaseth.  But  she  replied,  We 
can  not  do  that.  By  Allah,  if  we  fled  to  the  distance  of  a  year's  journey, 
this  accursed  wretch  would  bring  us  back  immediately,  and  he  would  de- 
stroy us.  So  Seifelmolouk  said,  I  will  hide  myself  in  a  place ;  and  when 
he  passeth  by  me,  I  will  smite  him  with  the  sword  and  slay  him.  But  she 
replied,  Thou  canst  not  slay  him  unless  thou  kill  his  soul.  And  in  what 
place,  said  he,  is  his  soul  ?  She  answered,  I  asked  him  respecting  it  many 
times;  but  he  would  not  confess  to  me  its  place.  It  happened,  however, 
that  I  urged  him  one  day,  and  he  was  enraged  against  me,  and  said  to  me, 
How  often  wilt  thou  ask  me  respecting  my  soul  ?  What  is  the  reason  of 
thy  question  respecting  my  soul  ?  So  I  answered  him,  O  Hatim,  there  re- 
maineth  to  me  no  one  but  thee,  excepting  God;  and  I,  as  long  as  I  live, 
would  not  cease  to  hold  thy  soul  in  my  embrace ;  and  if  I  do  not  take  care 
of  thy  soul,  and  put  it  in  the  midst  of  my  eye,  how  can  I  live  after  thee  ? 
If  I  knew  thy  soul,  I  would  take  care  of  it  as  of  my  right  eye.  And  there- 
upon he  said  to  me,  When  I  was  born,  the  astrologers  declared  that  the 
destruction  of  my  soul  would  be  effected  by  the  hand  of  one  of  the  sons  of 
the  human  kings.  I  therefore  took  my  soul  and  put  it  into  the  crop  of  a 
sparrow,  and  I  imprisoned  the  sparrow  in  a  little  box,  and  put  this  into  an- 
other small  box,  and  this  I  put  within  seven  other  small  boxes,  and  I  put 
these  within  seven  chests,  and  the  chests  I  put  into  a  coffer  of  marble  with- 
in the  verge  of  this  circumambient  ocean ;  for  this  part  is  remote  from  the 
countries  of  mankind,  and  none  of  mankind  can  gain  access  to  it.  Now  I 
have  told  thee  ;  and  tell  not  thou  any  one  of  this  ;  for  it  is  a  secret  between 
me  and  thee.  So  I  said  to  him,  To  whom  should  I  relate  it?  None  but 
thee  cometh  unto  me,  that  I  should  tell  him.  Then  I  said  to  him,  By  Al- 
lah, thou  hast  put  thy  soul  in  a  most  strongly  secured  place,  to  which  no 
being  can  gain  access.  How,  then,  should  auy  one  of  mankind  gain  access 
to  it,  unless  what  is  impossible  be  ordained,  and  God  have  predetermined, 
like  as  the  astrologers  have  said  ?  How  can  one  of  mankind  gain  access 
to  this  ?  But  he  replied,  Perhaps  one  of  them  may  have  upon  his  finger 
the  seal-ring  of  Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !),  and 
he  may  come  hither,  and  put  his  hand  with  this  seal-ring  upon  the  face  of 
the  water,  and  say,  By  the  virtue  of  these  names  let  the  soul  of  such  a 
one  come  up !  Thereupon  the  coffer  will  come  up,  and  he  will  break  it, 
and  the  chests  in  like  manner,  and  the  small  boxes  ;  and  the  sparrow  will 
come  forth  from  the  little  box,  and  he  will  strangle  it,  and  I  shall  die. 

So  thereupon  Seifelmolouk  said,  That,  king's  son  is  myself,  and  this  is 
the  ring  of  Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !)  upon 
my  finger.  Arise,  then,  and  come  with  us  to  the  shore  of  this  sea,  that  we 
may  see  whether  these  his  words  be  false  or  true.  The  two,  therefore, 
arose  and  walked  on  until  they  came  to  the  sea,  when  Dowlet  Katoun 
304 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

stood  upon  the  sea-shore,  and  Seifelmolouk  entered  the  water  to  his  waist, 
and  said,  By  virtue  of  the  names  aud  talismans  that  are  upon  this  seal-ring, 
and  by  the  influence  of  Solomon  (on  whom  be  peace  !),  let  the  soul  of  such 
a  one,  the  son  of  the  Blue  King,  the  Genie,  come  forth  !  And  immediately 
the  sea  became  agitated,  and  the  coffer  came  up.     So  Seifelmolouk  took 


The  Coffer  risina;  from  the  sea- 


it,  and  struck  it  against  the  rock,  and  broke  it,  and  he  broke  the  chests  and 
the  small  boxes,  and  took  forth  the  sparrow  from  the  little  box.  They 
then  returned  to  the  palace  and  ascended  the  couch;  and  lo,  a  horrible 
dust  arose,  and  a  huge  thing  came  flying  and  saying,  Spare  me,  O  son  of 
the  king,  and  slay  me  not,  but  make  me  thy  emancipated  slave,  and  I  will 
cause  thee  to  attain  thy  desire.  But  Dowlet  Katoun  said  to  him,  The 
Genie  hath  come  :  therefore  kill  the  sparrow,  lest  this  accursed  wretch  en- 
ter the  palace,  and  take  the  sparrow  from  thee,  and  slay  thee,  and  slay  me 
after  thee.  So  upon  this  he  strangled  the  sparrow,  and  it  died,  and  the 
Genie  fell  upon  the  ground,  a  heap  of  hlack  ashes. 

Then  Dowlet  Katoun  said,  Wo  have  escaped  from  the  hand  of  this  ac- 
cursed wretch,  and  how  shall  we  now  act?  Seifelmolouk  answered,  We 
must  seek  aid  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!),  who  bath  afflicted  us; 
for  He  will  order  our  affair,  and  will  aid  us  to  effect  our  deliverance  from 
our  present  state.  And  he  arose,  and  pulled  off,  of  the  doors  of  the  pal- 
ace, about  ten  doors.  These  were  of  sandal-wood,  and  aloes-wood,  and 
their  nails  were  of  gold  and  silver.  And  he  took  some  ropes  which  were 
there,  of  common  silk  and  floss  silk,  and  bound  the  doors  together;  after 
which  he  and  Dowlet  Katoun  helped  each  other,  so  that  they  conveyed 
them  to  the  sea  aud  cast  them  into  it ;  they  having  become  a  raft ;  and  they 
tied  it  to  the  shore.     They  then  returned  to  the  palace,  and  carried  off  the 

305 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

dishes  of  gold  and  silver,  and  likewise  the  jewels,  and  jacinths,  and  precious 
minerals.  They  transported  all  that  was  in  the  palace  of  such  things  as 
were  light  to  carry  and  of  high  price,  and  put  them  upon  that  raft,  and 
they  embarked  upon  it,  placing  their  reliance  upon  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted  !),  who  satisfieth,  and  doth  not  disappoint  hiin  who  relieth  upon 
Him.  They  also  made  for  themselves  two  pieces  of  wood  as  oars ;  and 
they  loosed  the  ropes,  and  let  the  raft  take  its  course  with  them  over  the 
sea.  They  ceased  not  to  proceed  in  this  manner  for  a  period  of  four 
months,  until  their  provisions  were  exhausted,  and  their  affliction  became 
violent,  and  their  spirits  were  oppressed  :  so  they  begged  of  God  to  grant 
them  deliverance  from  the  state  in  which  they  were.  Seifelmolouk,  dur- 
ing the  course  of  their  voyage,  used,  when  he  slept,  to  put  Dowlet  Katoun 
behind  his  back;  and  when  he  turned  over,  the  sword  was  between  them. 
And  while  they  were  in  this  state,  one  night,  it  happened  that  Seifelmolouk 
was  asleep,  and  Dowlet  Katoun  awake,  and  lo,  the  raft  inclined  to  the 
shore,  and  came  to  a  harbor  in  which  were  ships.  So  Dowlet  Katoun  saw 
the  ships,  and  she  heard  a  man  talking  with  the  sailors,  and  the  man  who 
was  talking  was  the  chief  captain.  Therefore,  when  she  heard  the  voice 
of  the  captain,  she  knew  that  this  was  the  harbor  of  some  city,  and  that 
they  had  arrived  at  the  habitations  of  men  ;  and  she  rejoiced  greatly,  and, 
having  roused  Seifelmolouk  from  his  sleep,  she  said  to  him,  Arise  and  ask 
this  captain  respecting  the  name  of  this  city,  and  respecting  this  harbor. 
And  thereupon  Seifelmolouk  arose,  joyful,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  brother, 
what  is  the  name  of  this  city,  and  what  is  this  harbor  called,  and  what  is 
the  name  of  its  king?  But  the  captain  replied,  O  lying-faced!  O  silly- 
bearded  !  If  thou  know  not  this  harbor  nor  this  city,  how  earnest  thou 
hither  ?  Seifelmolouk  said,  I  am  a  stranger,  and  I  was  in  a  vessel,  one  of 
the  merchant  vessels,  and  it  was  wrecked,  and  sank  with  all  that  was  in  it ; 
but  I  got  upon  a  plank,  and  have  arrived  here,  and  I  asked  thee  a  question, 
which  is  not  disgraceful.  So  the  captain  said,  This  is  the  city  called  Ema- 
ria,  and  this  harbor  is  called  the  harbor  Kemein  el-Bahrein. 

Now  when  Dowlet  Katoun  heard  these  words,  she  rejoiced  exceedingly, 
and  said,  Praise  be  to  God !  So  Seifelmolouk  said,  What  is  the  news  ? 
And  she  answered,  O  Seifelmolouk,  rejoice  at  the  announcement  of  speedy 
relief;  for  the  king  of  this  city  is  my  uncle,  the  brother  of  my  father,  and 
his  name  is  Ali-elmolouk.  Then  she  said  to  him,  Ask  him,  and  say  to  him, 
Is  the  sultan  of  this  city,  Ali-elmolouk,  well  ?  He  therefore  asked  him 
that  question ;  and  the  captain,  enraged  at  him,  replied,  Thou  sayest,  In 
my  life  I  never  came  hither;  but  am  a  stranger:  who,  then,  acquainted  thee 
with  the  name  of  the  lord  of  this  city  ?  And  Dowlet  Katoun  was  glad, 
and  she  knew  the  captain  ;  his  name  was  Moineddin,  and  he  was  one  of 
her  father's  captains  :  he  had  come  forth  to  search  for  her  when  she  was 
lost,  and  found  her  not,  and  he  ceased  not  to  search  about  until  he  came 
to  the  city  of  her  uncle.  Then  she  said  to  Seifelmolouk,  Say  to  him,  O 
Captain  Moineddin,  come  and  answer  the  summons  of  thy  mistress.  So 
he  called  to  him  in  the  words  which  she  had  said  ;  and  when  the  captain 
heard  his  words,  he  was  violently  enraged,  and  said  to  him,  O  dog,  who 
ait  thou,  and  how  knewest  thou  me  ?  And  he  said  to  some  of  the  sailors, 
Hand  me  an  ashen  staff,  that  I  may  go  to  this  unlucky  fellow  and  break 
his  head.  He  then  took  the  staff'  and  went  toward  Seifelmolouk;  and  he 
saw  the  raft,  and  saw  upon  it  an  object  wonderful  and  beautiful,  whereat 
300 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 


Arrival  at  Emaria. 


his  mind  was  amazed  ;  and  looking,  and  taking  a  sure  view,  he  beheld  Dow- 
let  Katoun  sitting,  like  a  piece  of  the  moon.  He  therefore  said,  What  is 
with  thee  ?  And  Seifelmolouk  answered  him,  With  me  is  a  damsel  named 
Dowlet  Katoun.  And  when  the  captain  heard  these  words  he  fell  down 
in  a  fit,  on  his  hearing  her  name,  and  knowing  that  she  was  his  mistress 
and  the  daughter  of  his  king.  Then,  as  soon  as  he  recovered,  he  left  the 
raft  with  what  was  upon  it,  and  repaired  to  the  city,  went  up  to  the  palace 
of  the  king,  and  asked  permission  to  go  in  to  him.  So  the  chamberlain 
went  in  to  the  king,  and  said,  The  Captain  Moin  hath  come  to  thee  to  give 
thee  good  news.  Wherefore  he  gave  him  permission  to  enter,  and  he  went 
in  to  the  king,  and  kissed  the  ground  before  him,  and  said  to  him,  O  king, 
thou  hast  to  give  a  present  for  good  news  ;  for  the  daughter  of  thy  broth- 
er, Dowlet  Katoun,  hath  arrived  at  the  city,  in  good  health  and  prosperity, 
and  she  is  upon  a  raft,  accompanied  by  a  young  man  like  the  moon  in  the 
night  of  its  fullness.  And  when  the  kins  heard  the  tidings  of  the  daugh- 
ter of  his  brother,  he  rejoiced,  and  conferred  a  sumptuous  robe  of  honor 
upon  the  captain.  He  ordered  also  immediately  that  they  should  decorate 
the  city  for  the  safety  of  the  daughter  of  his  brother,  and  sent  to  her,  and 
caused  her  to  be  brought  to  him,  together  with  Seifelmolouk,  and  sainted 
them,  and  congratulated  them  on  their  safety.     He  then  sent  to  his  broth 

307 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

er  to  inform  him  that  his  daughter  had  been  found,  and  that  she  was  with 
him ;  and  when  the  messenger  came  to  him,  he  prepared  himself,  and  the 
troops  assembled,  and  Tajelmolouk,  the  father  of  Dowlet  Katoun,  set  forth, 
and  proceeded  until  he  came  to  his  brother  Ali-elmolouk,  when  he  met 
his  daughter,  and  they  rejoiced  exceedingly. 

Tajelmolouk  remained  with  his  brother  a  week ;  after  which  he  took 
his  daughter,  and  likewise  Seifelmolouk,  and  they  proceeded  until  they 
came  to  Serendib,  her  father's  country,  when  Dowlet  Katoun  met  her 
mother,  and  they  rejoiced  at  her  safety,  and  celebrated  festivities;  and  it 
was  a  great  day,  the  like  of  which  is  not  seen.  As  to  the  king,  he  treated 
Seifelmolouk  with  honor,  and  said  to  him,  O  Seifelmolouk,  thou  hast  done 
unto  me  and  my  daughter  all  this  benefit,  and  I  am  not  able  to  requite  thee 
for  it,  nor  can  any  one  requite  thee  save  the  Lord  of  all  creatures ;  but  I 
desire  of  thee  that  thou  sit  upon  the  throne  in  my  place,  and  govern  in  the 
land  of  India ;  for  I  have  given  to  thee  my  kingdom,  and  my  throne,  and 
my  treasures,  and  my  servants,  and  all  this  is  a  present  from  me  unto 
thee.  So  thereupon  Seifelmolouk  arose  and  kissed  the  ground  before  the 
king,  and  thanked  him,  and  said  unto  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  I  have  ac- 
cepted all  that  thou  hast  given  to  me,  and  it  is  returned  from  me  unto  thee 
as  a  present  also ;  for  I,  O  king  of  the  age,  desire  not  kingdom  nor  empire, 
nor  desire  I  aught  but  that  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  may  cause  me 
to  attain  my  desire.  •  The  king  then  said  to  him,  These  my  treasures  are 
at  thy  disposal,  O  Seifelmolouk:  whatsoever  thou  desire  ot  them,  take  it, 
and  consult  me  not  respecting  it,  and  may  God  recompense  thee  for  me 
with  every  thing  good  !  But  Seifelmolouk  replied,  May  God  strengthen 
the  king  !  There  is  no  delight  for  me  in  sovereignty  nor  in  wealth  until  I 
attain  my  wish ;  but  I  desire  now  to  divert  myself  in  this  city,  and  to  see 
its  great  thoroughfare  streets  and  its  markets.  So  Tajelmolouk  ordered 
that  they  should  bring  him  a  horse  of  excellent  breed  ;  and  accordingly 
they  brought  him  a  horse  saddled  and  bridled,  of  excellent  breed,  and  he 
mounted  it  and  went  forth  into  the  market,  and  rode  through  the  great 
thoroughfare  streets  of  the  city.  And  while  he  was  looking  to  the  right 
and  left,  he  saw  a  young  man,  with  a  tunic,  crying  it  at  the  price  of  fifteen 
pieces  of  gold  ;  and,  looking  attentively  at  him,  he  found  him  to  resemble 
his  brother  Said;  and,  in  truth,  he  was  Said  himself;  but  his  complexion 
and  condition  were  changed  by  protracted  estrangement  and  the  difficulties 
of  travel ;  so  he  did  not  know  him.  He  then  said  to  those  who  were 
around  him,  Bring  this  young  man,  that  I  may  interrogate  him.  And  they 
brought  him  to  him,  and  he  said,  Take  him  and  convey  him  to  the  palace 
in  which  I  am  staying,  and  let  him  remain  with  you  until  I  return  from  di- 
verting myself.  But  they  imagined  that  he  said  to  them,  Take  him  and 
convey  him  to  the  prison.  And  they  said,  Perhaps  this  is  one  of  his  mam- 
louks,  who  hath  fled  from  him. 

Accordingly,  they  took  him  and  conveyed  him  to  the  prison,  and  shackled 
him,  and  left  him  sitting  there.  Then  Seifelmolouk  returned  from  divert- 
ing himself,  and  went  up  into  the  palace ;  but  he  forgot  his  brother  Said, 
and  no  one  mentioned  him  to  him.  So  Said  remained  in  the  prison;  and 
when  they  went  forth  with  the  prisoners  to  employ  them  in  constructions, 
and  repairs,  and  similar  works,  they  took  Said  with  them,  and  he  worked 
with  the  prisoners,  and  dirt  increased  upon  him.  He  remained  in  this 
state  for  the  space  of  a  month,  reflecting  upon  his  circumstances,  and  say- 
308 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

ing  within  himself,  What  is  the  cause  of  my  imprisonment?  And  Seifel- 
molouk  was  occupied  by  his  joys  and  other  things.  But  it  happened  lhat 
he  was  sitting  one  day,  and  remembered  his  brother  Said  :  so  he  said  to 
the  mamlouks  who  were  with  him,  Where  is  the  mamlouk  who  was  with 
you  on  such  a  day  ?  They  replied,  Didst  thou  not  say  to  us,  Convey  him 
to  the  prison  ?  He  said,  I  did  not  say  to  you  these  words  ;  but  I  said  to 
you,  Convey  him  to  the  palace  in  which  I  am  staying.  Then  he  sent  the 
chamberlains  to  Said  :  so  they  brought  him  to  him,  shackled  ;  and  they 
loosed  him  from  his  shackles,  and  stationed  him  before  Seifelmolouk,  who 
said  to  him,  O  young  man,  from  what  country  art  thou  ?  And  he  answered 
him,  I  am  from  Egypt,  and  my  name  is  Said,  the  son  of  the  Vizier  Faris. 
When  Seifelmolouk,  therefore,  heard  his  words,  he  arose  from  the  throne, 
threw  himself  upon  him,  and  clung  to  his  neck  ;  and  by  reason  of  his  joy, 
he  wept  violently,  and  he  said,  O  my  brother,  O  Said,  praise  be  to  God 
that  thou  art  livi-ng,  and  that  I  have  seen  thee ;  for  I  am  thy  brother  Seif- 
elmolouk, the  son  of  the  King  Asim.  So  when  Said  heard  the  words  of 
his  brother,  and  knew  him,  they  embraced  one  another,  and  wept  togeth- 
er; and  the  persons  who  were  present  wondered  at  them.  Then  Seifel- 
molouk ordered  that  they  should  take  Said,  and  conduct  him  to  the  bath. 
Accordingly,  they  conducted  him  thither;  and  on  his  coming  forth  from 
the  bath,  they  clad  him  in  sumptuous  apparel,  and  brought  him  back  to 
the  chamber  of  Seifelmolouk,  who  seated  him  with  him  on  the  throne. 
And  when  Tajelmolouk  knew  of  this,  he  rejoiced  greatly  at  the  meeting 
of  Seifelmolouk  with  his  brother  Said  ;  and  he  came,  and  the  three  sat  con- 
versing upon  the  events  that  had  happened  to  them  from  first  to  last. 

Then  Said  said,  O  my  brother,  O  Seifelmolouk,  when  the  ship  was  sub- 
merged and  the  mamlouks  also  were  submerged,  I  and  a  party  of  the  mam- 
louks got  upon  a  plank,  and  it  proceeded  with  us  over  the  sea  for  a  period 
of  a  whole  month ;  after  which  the  wind  cast  us,  by  the  decree  of  God 
(whoso  name  be  exalted  !),  upon  an  island.  So  we  landed  upon  it;  and 
we  were  hungry ;  wherefore  we  went  in  among  the  trees,  and  ate  of  the 
fruits,  and  were  busied  with  eating ;  and  we  were  not  aware  when  there 
came  forth  upon  us  people  like  Afrites,  who  sprang  upon  us,  and  mounted 
upon  our  shoulders,  saying  to  us,  Go  on  with  us  ;  for  ye  have  become  our 
asses.  I  therefore  said  to  him  who  had  mounted  me,  What  art  thou,  and 
why  hast  thou  mounted  me  ?  And  when  he  heard  from  me  these  words, 
he  wound  his  leg  round  my  neck  in  such  a  manner  that  I  nearly  died,  and 
he  beat  me  upon  my  back  with  his  other  leg  so  that  I  thought  he  had 
broken  my  back.  I  then  fell  upon  the  ground,  on  my  face,  and  no  strength 
remained  in  me  by  reason  of  my  hunger  and  thirst.  So  when  I  fell,  he 
knew  that  I  was  hungry,  and,  taking  me  by  my  hand,  he  brought  me  to  a 
tree  abounding  with  fruit,  and  it  was  a  pear-tree  ;  and  he  said  to  me,  Eat 
from  this  tree  until  thou  art,  satiated.  I  therefore  ate  from  that  tree  until 
I  was  satiated,  and  I  arose  to  walk,  without  desiring  to  do  so  ;  but  I  had 
not  gone  more  than  a  little  way  before  that  person  turned  back  and  mount- 
ed again  upon  my  shoulders.  A  while  I  walked,  and  a  while  I  ran,  and  a 
while  I  trotted  ;  and  he,  riding  upon  me,  laughed,  and  said,  In  my  life  I 
have  never  seen  an  ass  like  thee. 

Now  it  happened  that  we  gathered  some  bunches  of  grapes  one  day,  and 
put  them  into  a  trench  and  trod  them  with  our  feet,  and  that  trench  be- 
came a  great  pool.     Then  we  waited  some  time,  and,  coming  again  to  the 

309 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 


tiaid  gathering  pears. 

trench,  we  found  that  the  sun  had  heated  that  juice,  and  that  it  had  become 
wine.  So  after  that  we  used  to  drink  of  it,  and  intoxicate  ourselves,  and 
our  faces  became  red,  and  we  used  to  sing  and  dance,  by  reason  of  the  ex- 
hilaration produced  by  intoxication ;  whereupon  they  said,  What  is  it  that 
reddeneth  your  faces,  and  maketh  you  dance  and  sing  ?  We  replied,  Ask 
ye  not  respecting  this.  And  what  desire  ye  by  asking  respecting  it?  They 
said,  Inform  us,  that  we  may  know  the  truth  of  the  case.  And  we  replied, 
The  expressed  juice  of  grapes.  And  upon  this  they  took  us  to  a  valley, 
of  which  we  knew  not  the  length  nor  the  breadth,  and  in  that  valley  were 
grape  vines  of  which  neither  the  beginning  nor  the  end  was  known :  every 
one  of  the  bunches  that  were  upon  them  was  as  much  as  twenty  pounds  in 
weight,  and  every  one  was  within  easy  reach  ;  and  they  said  to  us,  Gather 
of  these.  We  therefore  gathered  of  them  a  great  quantity ;  and  I  saw 
there  a  large  trench,  larger  than  a  great  tank,  which  we  filled  with  grapes, 
and  we  trod  them  with  our  feet,  and  did  as  we  had  done  the  first  time  :  so 
it  became  wine,  and  we  said  to  them,  It  hath  come  to  perfection.  With 
what,  then,  will  ye  drink  ?  Whereupon  they  answered  us,  There  were  in 
310 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

our  possession  some  asses  like  you,  and  we  ate  them,  and  their  heads  re- 
main;  therefore,  give  us  to  drink  m  their  skulls.  And  we  gave  them  to 
drink,  and  they  became  intoxicated ;  after  which  they  lay  down  ;  and  they 
were  about  two  hundred.  Upon  this  we  said,  one  to  another,  Is  it  not 
enough  for  these  to  ride  vis,  but  will  they  eat  us  also  ?  There  is  no 
strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  But  we  will  make 
intoxication  to  overcome  them,  and  then  we  will  kill  them,  and  be  secure 
from  them,  and  escape  from  their  hands.  Accordingly,  we  roused  them, 
and  proceeded  to  fill  for  them  those  skulls,  and  to  give  them  to  drink  ;  but 
they  said,  This  is  bitter.  So  we  said  to  them,  Wherefore  do  ye  say  that 
this  is  bitter?  Every  one  who  saith  that,  if  he  drink  not  of  it  ten  times,  he 
will  die  the  same  day.  They  therefore  feared  death,  and  said  to  us,  Give 
us  to  drink  all  the  ten  times.  And  when  they  had  drank  what  remained 
of  the  ten  draughts,  they  were  intoxicated,  and  their  intoxication  was  ex- 
cessive, and  their  strength  entirely  failed  :  so  we  dragged  them  by  their 
hands,  and  collected  a  great  quantity  of  the  sticks  of  those  vines,  and  put 
them  around  them  and  upon  them;  after  which  we  set  fire  to  the  sticks, 
and  stood  at  a  distance  to  see  what  would  become  of  them.  We  then  ap- 
proached them,  after  the  fire  had  become  low,  and  we  saw  that  they  were 
reduced  to  a  heap  of  ashes. 

We  therefore  praised  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  who  had  saved  us 
from  them,  and,  going  forth  from  the  midst  of  that  island,  we  sought  the 
shore  of  the  sea.  Then  we  parted,  one  from  another.  But  as  to  me  and 
two  of  the  mamlouks,  we  walked  until  we  came  to  a  great  wood,  abounding 
with  trees,  where  we  busied  ourselves  with  eating.  And  lo,  a  person  of 
tall  stature,  with  a  long  beard,  with  long  ears,  and  with  two  eyes  like  two 
cressets,  before  whom  were  many  sheep  which  he  was  tending,  and  with 
him  was  a  party  of  persons  like  himself.  And  when  he  saw  us,  he  rejoiced 
at  our  coming,  and  was  glad  ;  and  he  welcomed  us,  saying,  A  friendly  and 
free  welcome  !  Come  to  my  abode,  that  I  may  slaughter  for  you  one  of 
these  sheep,  and  roast  it,  and  feed  you.  So  we  said  to  him,  And  where  is 
thy  place  ?  And  he  answered.  Near  to  this  mountain  :  go  ye  then  in  this 
direction  until  ye  see  a  cave,  which  enter  ye  ;  for  in  it  are  many  guests  like 
you.  Go  and  sit  with  them  until  we  prepare  for  you  the  entertainment. 
And  we  felt  sure  that  his  words  were  true,  and  went  in  that  direction,  and 
entered  that  cave  ;  but  we  saw  the  guests  that  were  in  it  all  of  them  blind ; 
and  when  we  went  in  to  them,  one  of  them  said,  I  am  sick ;  and  another 
said,  I  am  infirm.  So  we  said  to  them,  What  are  these  words  that  ye  ut- 
ter ?  What  is  the  cause  of  your  infirmity  and  your  disease  ?  And  they 
asked  us,  saying,  Who  are  ye  ?  We  answered  them,  We  are  guests. 
And  they  said  to  us,  What  hath  thrown  you  into  the  hand  of  this  accursed 
wretch?  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great! 
This  is  a  Ghoul,  that  eateth  the  sons  of  Adam,  and  he  hath  blinded  us,  and 
desireth  to  eat  us.  We  therefore  said  to  them,  How  hath  this  Ghoul 
blinded  you?  They  replied,  Verily  forthwith  he  will  blind  you  like  us. 
But  how,  said  we,  will  he  blind  us  ?  They  answered  us,  He  will  bring  you 
cups  of  milk,  and  will  say  to  yon,  Ye  are  wearied  by  your  journey  ;  there- 
fore take  this  milk,  and  drink  of  it.  And  when  ye  drink  of  it,  ye  will  be- 
come like  us.  So  I  said  within  myself,  There  remaineth  for  us  no  escape 
save  by  stratagem.  And  I  dug  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  sat  over  it.  Then, 
after  a  while,  the  accursed  Ghoul  came  in  to  us,  bringing  cups  of  milk  ;  and 

311 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

he  handed  to  me  a  cup,  and  handed  a  cup  to  each  of  those  who  were  with 
me,  saying  to  us,  Ye  have  come  from  the  desert  thirsty;  therefore,  take 
this  milk  and  drink  of  it,  while  I  roast  for  you  the  meat.  Now  as  to  my- 
self, I  took  the  cup,  and  put  it  near  to  my  mouth,  and  emptied  it  into  the 
hole ;  after  which  I  cried  out,  Ah !  my  sight  is  gone,  and  I  have  become 
blind  !  And  I  held  my  eyes  with  my  hand,  and  began  to  weep  and  cry 
out,  while  he  laughed,  and  said,  Fear  not.  But  as  to  the  two  who  were 
my  companions,  they  drank  the  milk,  and  became  blind.  And  thereupon 
the  accursed  arose  immediately,  and,  having  closed  the  entrance  of  the 
cave,  drew  near  to  me,  and  felt  my  ribs,  and  be  found  me  lean,  having  no 
meat  upon  me ;  wherefore  he  felt  another,  and  he  saw  that  he  was  fat,  and 
rejoiced  thereat.  He  then  slaughtered  three  sheep  and  skinned  them,  and 
he  brought  some  spits  of  iron,  upon  which  he  put  the  flesh  of  the  sheep, 
and  he  put  them  over  a  fire,  and  roasted  the  meat ;  after  which  he  brought 
it  to  my  two  companions,  who  ate,  and  he  ate  with  them.  He  next  brought 
a  leathern  bottle  full  of  wine,  and  drank  it,  and  laid  himself  down  upon  his 
face  and  snored. 

So  upon  this  I  said  within  myself,  Verily  he  is  immersed  in  sleep,  and 
how  shall  I  slay  him  ?  Then  I  remembered  the  spits;  and  I  took  two  of 
them  and  put  them  into  the  fire,  and  waited  until  they  had  become  like  red- 
hot  coals  ;  whereupon  I  girded  myself,  and,  having  risen  upon  my  feet,  took 
the  two  iron  spits  in  my  hand,  and  drew  near  to  the  accursed,  and  thrust 
them  into  his  eyes,  pressing  upon  them  with  all  my  strength.  So,  by  rea- 
son of  the  sweetness  of  life,  he  rose  erect  upon  his  feet  and  desired  to  lay 
hold  upon  me,  after  he  had  become  blind.  But  I  fled  from  him  into  the 
inner  part  of  the  cave,  while  he  pursued  me ;  and  I  said  to  the  blind  men 
who  were  with  him,  What  is  to  be  done  with  this  accursed  ?  Upon  which 
one  of  them  said,  O  Said,  arise  and  ascend  to  this  aperture ;  thou  wilt  find 
in  it  a  polished  sword  ;  and  do  thou  take  it,  and  come  to  me,  that  I  may 
tell  thee  what  thou  shalt  do.  Accordingly,  I  ascended  to  the  aperture,  and 
took  the  sword,  and  came  to  that  man  ;  and  he  said  to  me,  Take  it,  and 
smite  him  upon  his  waist,  and  he  will  die  instantly.  I  therefore  arose  and 
ran  after  him,  and  he  was  tired  with  running,  and  he  came  to  the  blind 
men  to  kill  them  ;  so  I  came  to  him,  and  smote  him  with  the  sword  upon 
his  waist,  and  he  became  divided  in  twain  ;  upon  which  he  cried  out  to  me, 
saying,  O  man.  since  thou  desirest  my  slaughter,  smite  me  a  second  time. 
Wherefore  I  resolved  to  smite  him  a  second  time  ;  but  he  who  directed  me 
to  the  sword  said,  Smite  him  not  a  second  time  ;  for  in  that  case  he  will 
not  die,  but  will  live,  and  will  destroy  us.  So  I  complied  with  the  direc- 
tion of  that  man,  and  smote  him  not ;  and  the  accursed  died.  The  man 
then  said  to  me,  Arise  ;  open  the  cave,  and  let  us  go  forth  from  it.  Perhaps 
God  will  aid  us,  and  we  shall  be  safe  from  this  place.  But  I  replied,  No 
harm  remaineth  for  us.  We  will  rather  rest,  and  slaughter  some  of  these 
sheep,  and  drink  of  this  wine ;  for  the  land  is  far  extending.  And  we  re- 
mained in  this  place  for  a  period  of  two  months,  eating  of  these  sheep  and 
of  the  fruits. 

After  this  it  happened  that  we  were  sitting  upon  the  shore  of  the  sea 
one  day,  and  I  saw  a  large  ship  appearing  upon  the  sea  in  the  distance :  so 
we  made  a  sign  to  the  persons  on  board  of  it,  and  called  out  to  them.  But 
they  feared  that  Ghoul ;  for  they  knew  that  upon  this  island  was  a  Ghoul 
that  ate  human  beings;  wherefore  they  desired  to  escape.  We,  how- 
312 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 


■ 
- 


<     'i    »" 
The  Ghoul  slain  by  Said. 

ever,  made  signs  to  them  with  the  ends  of  our  turbans,  and  drew  nearer  to 
them,  and  proceeded  to  call  out  to  them  ;  and  thereupon  one  of  the  pas- 
sengers, who  was  sharp-sighted,  said,  O  company  of  passengers,  verily  I  see 
these  indistinct  objects  to  be  human  beings  like  us,  and  they  have  not  the 
form  of  Ghouls.  Then  they  came  toward  us  by  little  and  little  until  they 
drew  near  to  us;  and  when  they  were  convinced  that  we  were  human  be- 
ings, they  saluted  us,  and  we  returned  their  salutation,  and  gave  them  the 
good  news  of  the  slaughter  of  the  accursed  Ghoul ;  whereupon  they 
thanked  us.  We  then  provided  ourselves  from  the  island  with  some  of  the 
fruits  that  were  upon  it,  and  embarked  on  board  the  ship,  aud  it  bore  us 
along  with  a  fair  wind  for  the  space  of  three  days.  But  after  that  a  wind 
arose  against  us,  and  the  darkness  of  the  sky  became  excessive,  and  not 
more  than  one  hour  had  elapsed  when  the  wind  bore  the  ship  to  a  mount- 
ain, and  it  was  wrecked,  and  its  planks  were  rent  asunder.  However,  God 
the  Great  decreed  that  I  should  lay  hold  of  one  of  its  planks,  and  I  got 
upon  it,  and  it  bore  me  along  for  two  days.  A  fair  wind  had  then  come, 
and  I,  sitting  upon  the  plank,  proceeded  to  row  with  my  feet  for  some  time, 
until  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  caused  me  to  reach  the  shore  in  safety, 
and  I  landed  at  this  city.  But  I  had  become  a  stranger,  alone,  solitary,  not 
knowing  what  to  do,  and  hunger  had  tormented  me,  and  extreme  trouble 
Vor..  II. — O  313 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL 

had  befallen  me.  I  therefore  came  to  the  market  of  the  city,  after  I  had 
hidden  myself,  and  pulled  off  this  tunic,  saying  within  myself,  I  will  sell  it, 
and  sustain  myself  with  its  price  until  God  shall  accomplish  what  he  will 
accomplish.  Then,  O  my  brother,  I  took  the  tunic  in  my  hand,  and  the 
people  were  looking  at  it,  and  bidding  up  for  its  price,  until  thou  earnest 
and  sawest  me,  and  gavest  orders  to  convey  me  to  the  palace  ;  whereupon 
the  young  men  took  me  and  imprisoned  me  ;  and  after  this  period  thou  re- 
memberedst  me,  and  causedst  me  to  be  brought  to  thee.  Thus  I  have  ac- 
quainted thee  with  the  events  that  have  happened  to  me;  and  praise  be  to 
God  for  the  meeting  ! 

And  when  Seifelmolouk  and  Tajelmolouk  the  father  of  Dowlet  Katoun 
heard  the  story  of  the  Vizier  Said,  they  wondered  at  it  greatly.  Tajelmo- 
louk had  prepared  a  pleasant  place  for  Seifelmolouk  and  his  brother  Said  ; 
and  Dowlet  Katoun  used  to  come  to  Seifelmolouk,  and  to  thank  him,  and 
converse  with  him  respecting  his  kind  conduct.     Then  the  Vizier  Said  said, 

0  queen,  I  desire  thine  aid  to  accomplish  his  wish.     And  she  replied,  Yes  ; 

1  will  exert  myself  in  his  favor  so  that  he  shall  attain  his  wish,  if  it  be  the 
will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  And  looking  toward  Seifelmolouk, 
she  said  to  him,  Be  of  good  heart  and  cheerful  eye.  Thus  was  the  caso 
of  Seifelmolouk  and  his  Vizier  Said.  And  now,  as  to  the  Queen  Bedia 
Eljemal,  information  was  brought  to  her  of  the  return  of  her  sister  Dowlet 
Katoun  to  her  father  and  her  country;  and  she  said,  I  must  visit  her  and 
salute  her  in  beautiful  trim,  and  ornaments,  and  apparel.  So  she  repaired 
to  her ;  and  when  she  drew  near  to  her  abode,  the  Queen  Dowlet  Katoun 
met  her,  and  saluted  her,  and  embraced  her,  and  kissed  her  between  her 
eyes;  and  the  Queen  Bedia  Eljemal  congratulated  her  on  her  safety. 
Then  they  sat  conversing,  and  Bedia  Eljemal  said  to  Dowlet  Katoun,  What 
happened  to  thee  during  thine  absence  from  thy  country  ?  O  my  sister, 
replied  Dowlet  Katoun,  ask  me  not  respecting  the  things  that  befell  me. 
O,  what  difficulties  do  human  creatures  endure  !  And  how  so  ?  asked  Be- 
dia Eljemal.    She  answered,  O  my  sister,  I  was  in  the  Lofty  Palace,  and  in  it 


.T14 


Hedin  hfijemal  and  Dnwlet  Katoun. 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

the  son  of  the  Blue  King  had  possession  of  me.  And  she  related  to  her 
the  rest  of  the  story  from  first  to  last,  and  the  story  of  Seifelmolouk,  and 
what  happened  to  him  in  the  palace,  and  the  difficulties  and  horrors  that 
he  had  endured  until  he  came  to  the  Lofty  Palace;  also  how  he  had 
killed  the  son  of  the  Blue  King,  and  how  he  had  pulled  off  the  doors,  and 
made  them  into  a  raft,  and  made  for  it  oars;  and  how  he  came  hither; 
whereat  Bedia  Eljemal  wondered.  Then  she  said,  By  Allah,  O  my  sister, 
verily  this  was  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  of  wonderful  cases,  and  I  de- 
sire to  acquaint  thee  with  the  origin  of  his  tale;  but  hashfulness  prevent- 
eth  my  doing  so.  Bedia  Eljemal  therefore  said  to  her,  What  is  the  cause 
of  thy  bashfulness,  when  thou  art  my  sister  and  my  companion,  and  we 
have  much  between  us,  and  I  know  that  thou  desirest  not  for  me  aught 
save  what  is  good?  Wherefore,  then,  shouldst  thou  be  abashed  at  me? 
Acquaint  me  with  that  which  thou  hast  to  say,  and  be  not  abashed  at  me, 
nor  conceal  from  me  aught  of  the  matter. 

So  Dowlet  Katoun  replied,  Verily  he  saw  thy  portrait  on  the  tunic  which 
thy  father  sent  to  Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !). 
Solomon  opened  it  not,  nor  saw  what  was  on  it,  but  sent  it  to  the  King 
Asim  the  son  of  Safwan,  the  King  of  Egypt,  among  other  presents  and 
rarities  which  he  sent  to  him  ;  and  the  King  Asim  gave  it  to  his  son  Seif- 
elmolouk before  he  opened  it.  And  when  Seifelmolouk  took  it,  he  opened 
it,  desiring  to  put  it  on  himself,  and  he  saw  on  it  thy  portrait,  and  became 
enamored  of  it ;  wherefore  he  came  forth  to  seek  thee,  and  he  endured  all 
these  difficulties  on  thine  account.  But  Bedia  Eljemal  said  (and  her  face 
had  become  red,  and  she  was  abashed  at  Dowlet  Katoun),  Verily  this  is  a 
thing  that  can  never  be  ;  for  mankind  agree  not  with  the  Genii.  So  Dow- 
let Katoun  proceeded  to  describe  to  her  Seifelmolouk,  and  the  excellence 
of  his  form,  and  his  conduct,  and  his  horsemanship;  and  she  ceased  not  to 
praise  him  and  to  mention  to  her  his  qualities  until  she  said,  O  my  sister, 
for  the  sake  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  and  for  my  sake,  come  and 
converse  with  him,  though  thou  speak  but  a  single  word.  But  Bedia  Elje- 
mal replied,  Verily  these  words  that  thou  interest  I  will  not  hear,  nor  will 
I  yield  to  thy  wish  expressed  in  them.  And  she  seemed  as  though  she 
heard  not  of  them  aught,  and  as  though  no  love  for  Seifelmolouk,  and  the 
excellence  of  his  form,  and  his  conduct,  and  his  horsemanship,  entered  her 
heart.  Then  Dowlet  Katoun  humbled  herself  to  her,  and  kissed  her  feet, 
and  said,  O  Bedia  Eljemal,  by  the  milk  that  we  have  sucked,  1  and  thou,  and 
by  the  characters  engraved  upon  the  seal  of  Solomon  (on  whom  be  peace  !), 
hear  these  my  words;  for  1  pledged  myself  to  him  in  the  Lofty  Palace 
that  1  would  show  him  thy  face.  I  conjure  thee  then,  by  Allah,  to  show  him 
thy  form  once,  for  my  sake,  and  that  thou  also  see  him.  And  she  pro- 
ceeded to  weep  to  her.  and  to  humble  herself  to  her,  and  to  kiss  her  hands 
and  her  feet,  until  she  consented,  and  said,  For  thy  sake  I  will  show  him 
my  face  once. 

Upon  this,  therefore,  the  heart  of  Dowlet  Katoun  was  comforted.  She 
kissed  her  hands  and  her  feet,  and  went  forth,  and  came  to  the  largest  pal- 
ace, which  was  in  the  garden  ;  and  she  ordered  the  female  slaves  to  spread 
the  furniture  in  it,  to  set  in  it  a  couch  of  gold,  and  to  place  the  wine  ves- 
sels in  order.  She  then  arose  and  went  in  to  Seifelmolouk  and  Said,  his 
vizier,  who  were  sitting  in  their  place,  and  gave  to  Seifelmolouk  the  good 
news  of  the  attainment  of  his  desire  and  the  accomplishment  of  his  wish; 

315 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

and  she  said  to  him,  Repair  to  the  garden,  thou  and  thy  brother,  and  entei 
the  palace,  and  conceal  yourself  from  the  eyes  of  the  people,  so  that  no  one 
of  those  who  are  in  the  palace  may  see  you  until  I  and  Bedia  Eljemal  come. 
So  Seifelmolouk  and  Said  arose,  and  repaired  to  the  place  to  which  Dow- 
let  Katoun  had  directed  them  ;  and  when  they  entered  it,  they  saw  a  couch 
of  gold  set,  with  the  cushions  upon  it,  and  there  were  viands  and  wine. 
And  they  sat  a  while.  Then  Seifelmolouk  thought  upon  his  beloved,  and 
his  bosom  thereupon  became  contracted,  and  love  and  desire  assailed  him  : 
he  therefore  arose  and  walked  on  until  he  went  forth  from  the  entrance 
passage  of  the  palace.  His  brother  Said  followed  him  ;  but  he  said  to  him, 
O  my  brother,  sit  thou  in  thy  place,  and  follow  me  not,  until  I  return  to 
thee.  So  Said  sat,  and  Seifelmolouk  descended  and  entered  the  garden, 
intoxicated  by  the  wine  of  desire,  perplexed  by  excess  of  passion  and  dis- 
traction ;  love  had  agitated  him,  and  ecstasy  had  overcome  him,  and  he  re- 
cited these  verses : 

O  Bedia  Eljemal,  I  have  none  besides  thee :  have  mercy  on  me,  then  ;  for  I  am  the 
captive  of  thy  love  ! 

Thou  art  the  object  of  my  search,  and  my  desire,  and  my  joy.  My  heart  hath  re- 
fused to  love  any  besides  thee. 

Would  I  were  informed  if  thou  knewest  of  my  weeping  all  the  night  long  with 
sleepless  eyelid. 

Command  sleep  to  sojourn  in  my  eyelid,  and  then  perhaps  1  shall  behold  thee  in 
a  dream. 

Be  favorable  to  one  who  is  distracted  by  love.  Save  him  from  the  destructive 
effects  of  thy  cruelty. 


316 


Seifelmolouk  in  (he  garden. 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

May  God  increase  thy  beauty  and  thy  happiness,  and  may  all  thine  enemies  be  a 

sacrifice  for  thee  ! 
The  lovers  shall  be  ranged,  on  the  day  of  resurrection,  beneath  my  banner,  and  all 

the  beauties  beneath  thine. 

Then  he  wept  again,  and  recited  other  verses;  and  thus  he  continued  to  do, 
now  weeping  and  now  reciting,  till  Said,  thinking  him  slow  to  return,  went 
forth  from  the  palace  to  search  for  him  in  the  garden,  and  saw  him  walking 
there,  perplexed,  and  reciting  verses.  Thereupon  Seifelmolouk  and  Said 
his  brother  met,  and  they  proceeded  to  divert  themselves  in  the  garden,  and 
to  eat  of  the  fruits. 

But  as  to  Dowlet  Katoun,  when  she  and  Bedia  Eljemal  came  to  the  pal- 
ace, they  entered  it,  after  the  eunuchs  had  decorated  it  with  varieties  of 
ornaments,  and  done  in  it  all  that  Dowlet  Katoun  had  ordered  them,  having 
prepared  for  Bedia  Eljemal  a  couch  of  gold  that  she  might  sit  upon  it.  So 
when  Bedia  Eljemal  saw  that  couch,  she  seated  herself  upon  it ;  and  there 
was  by  her  side  a  window  overlooking  the  garden.  The  eunuchs  had 
brought  varieties  of  exquisite  viands,  and  Bedia  Eljemal  and  Dowlet  Katoun 
ate,  the  latter  putting  morsels  into  the  mouth  of  the  former  until  she  was 
satisfied  ;  when  she  called  for  various  sweetmeats,  and  the  eunuchs  brought 
them,  and  the  two  ladies  ate  of  them  as  much  as  sufficed  them,  and  wash- 
ed their  hands.  Next  Dowlet  Katoun  prepared  the  wine  and  the  wine 
vessels,  arranged  the  ewers  and  the  cups,  and  proceeded  to  fill  and  to  hand 
to  Bedia  Eljemal;  after  which  she  filled  the  cup  and  drank.  Then  Bedia 
Eljemal  looked  from  the  window  that  was  by  her  side  into  that  garden,  and 
saw  its  fruits  and  branches;  and  happening  to  turn  her  eyes  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Seifelmolouk,  she  beheld  him  wandering  about  in  the  garden,  with 
the  Vizier  Said  behind  him,  and  heard  Seifelmolouk  reciting  verses,  while 
lie  poured  forth  copious  tears;  and  when  she  beheld  him,  the  sight  occa- 
sioned her  a  thousand  sighs.  She  therefore  looked  toward  Dowlet  Ktvtoun 
(and  the  wine  had  made  sport  with  her  affections),  and  she  said  to  her,  O 
my  sister,  who  is  this  young  man  that  I  see  in  the  garden,  perplexed,  dis- 
tracted, melancholy,  sighing  ?  So  Dowlet  Katoun  said  to  her,  Wilt  thou 
permit  his  presence  with  us,  that  sve  may  see  him  ?  She  answered,  If 
thou  canst  bring  him,  do  so.  And  upon  this  Dowlet  Katoun  called  him, 
saying  to  him,  O  son  of  the  king,  come  up  to  us,  and  approach  us  with  thy 
beauty  and  loveliness.  Wherefore  Seifelmolouk,  knowing  the  voice  of 
Dowlet  Katoun,  went  up  into  the  palace ;  and  when  his  eye  fell  upon  Be- 
dia Eljemal,  he  fell  down  in  a  fit:  so  Dowlet  Katoun  sprinkled  upon  him  a 
little  rose-water,  and  he  recovered  from  his  fit.  He  then  arose  and  kissed 
the  ground  before  Bedia  Eljemal,  who  was  confounded  by  his  beauty  and 
loveliness;  and  Dowlet  Katoun  said,  Know,  O  queen,  that  this  is  Seifelmo- 
louk, through  whose  means  my  deliverance  was  effected,  by  the  decree  of 
God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  he  is  the  person  whom  all  kinds  of 
difficulties  have  befallen  on  thine  account;  wherefore  I  desire  that  thou 
regard  him  favorably.  Upon  this  l>edia  Eljemal,  after  laughing,  said,  And 
who  fullilleth  vows,  that  this  young  man  should  fulfill  them  ?  For  mankind 
are  destitute  of  affection.  So  Seifelmolouk  replied,  O  queen,  verily  faith- 
lessness will  never  be  mine  ;  and  all  people  are  not  alike.  And  he  wept  be- 
fore her,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

O  Bedia  Eljemal,  be  propitious  to  one  sorrowful,  worn  and  afflicted  by  an  enchant- 
iiiL',  cruel  eve! 

317 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

By  the  beauteous  colors  combined  in  thy  cheeks,  the  white  and  deep  red  like  that 
of  the  anemone, 

Punish  not  with  abandonment  one  in  constant  suffering ;  for  my  body  is  wasting 
through  protracted  estrangement. 

This  is  my  wish,  and  the  utmost  that  I  hope  for;  and  union  is  my  desire,  if  this  be 
possible. 
Then  he  wept  violently,  and  recited  other  verses  ;  and  when  he  had 
ended  them  he  wept  again  violently  ;  whereupon  Bedia  Eljemal  said  to 
him,  O  son  of  the  king,  verily  I  fear  to  give  myself  up  to  thee  entirely,  lest 
I  should  not  experience  from  thee  affection  nor  love ;  for  often  the  good 
qualities  of  mankind  are  found  to  be  few,  and  their  perfidy  is  great.  And 
know  that  the  Lord  Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace !) 
took  Balkis  lovingly;  and  when  he  saw  another  more  beautiful  than  she, 
he  turned  from  her  to  that  other  person.  But  Seifelmolouk  replied,  O  my 
eye  and  my  soul,  God  hath  not  created  all  mankind  alike,  and  I,  if  it  be  the 
will  of  God,  will  fulfill  my  vow,  and  will  die  beneath  thy  feet.  Thou  sha.r, 
see  what  I  will  do  agreeably  with  that  which  I  say,  and  on  God  I  depend 
for  my  doing  as  I  say.  So  upon  this  Bedia  Eljemal  said  to  him,  Sit,  and 
be  at  ease,  and  swear  to  me  by  thy  religion,  and  let  us  covenant  with  each 
other  that  neither  of  us  will  be  treacherous  to  the  other ;  and  may  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  execute  vengeance  on  the  one  who  is  treacherous 
to  the  other!  And  when  Seifelmolouk  heard  from  her  these  words,  he 
sat;  and,  with  the  hand  of  each  in  the  hand  of  the  other,  they  swore  that 
neither  of  them  would  prefer  to  the  other  any  person,  whether  of  man- 
kind or  of  the  Genii.  Then  they  remained  a  while  embracing  one  another, 
and  weeping  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  their  joy.  And  after  Bedia  El- 
jemal and  Seifelmolouk  had  sworn,  each  to  the  other,  Seifelmolouk  arose 
to  walk,  and  Bedia  Eljemal  arose  also  to  walk,  attended  by  a  slave  girl 
carrying  some  food,  and  carrying  likewise  a  bottle  full  of  wine.  And  Be- 
dia Eljemal  sat,  and  the  slave  girl  put  before  her  the  food  and  the  wine; 
but  they  had  not  remained  more  than  a  short  time  when  Seifelmolouk  ap- 
proached ;  whereupon  she  met  him  with  salutation,  and  they  embraced 
each  other. 

After  this  they  sat  a  while  eating  and  drinking  ;  and  Bedia  Eljemal  said, 
O  son  of  the  king,  when  thou  enterest  the  Garden  of  Irem,  thou  wilt  see 
a  large  tent  pitched,  of  red  satin,  and  its  lining  of  green  silk.  Enter  the 
tent,  and  fortify  thy  heart.  Thou  wilt  there  see  an  old  woman  sitting 
upon  a  couch  of  red  gold  set  with  large  pearls  and  with  jewels;  and  when 
thou  enterest,  salute  her  with  politeness  and  reverence;  and  look  toward 
the  couch  :  thou  wilt  find  beneath  it  a  pair  of  slippers  interwoven  with  gold, 
and  adorned  with  minerals.  Take  those  slippers  and  kiss  them,  and  put 
them  upon  thy  head  :  then  put  them  beneath  thy  right  armpit,  and  stand 
before  the  old  woman,  silent,  and  hanging  down  thy  head.  And  when  she 
asketh  thee  and  saith  to  thee,  Whence  hast  thou  come,  and  how  arrivedst 
thou  here,  and  who  made  known  to  thee  this  place,  and  for  what  reason 
tookest  thou  these  slippers  ?  be  thou  silent  until  this  my  slave  girl  entereth 
and  converseth  with  her,  and  endeavoreth  to  render  her  favorable  to  thee, 
and  striveth  to  content  her  mind  by  words.  Perhaps  God  (whose  name 
be  exalted!)  may  incline  her  heart  to  thee,  and  she  may  consent  to  that 
which  thou  desirest.  She  then  called  that  slave  girl ;  and  her  name  was 
Marjana;  and  she  said  to  her,  By  thy  love  of  me,  accomplish  this  affair 
this  day,  and  be  not  slothful  in  doing  it.  If  thou  accomplish  it  this  day, 
318 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

thou  shalt  be  free  for  the  sake  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  a:id  thou 
shalt  receive  generous  treatment,  and  there  shall  not  be  any  dearer  in  my 
estimation  than  thou,  nor  will  1  reveal  my  secret  to  any  but  thee.  So  she 
replied,  U  my  mistress,  and  light  of  my  eye,  tell  me  what  is  thine  affair, 
that  I  may  accomplish  it  for  thee  on  my  head  and  my  eye.  And  she  said 
to  her,  It  is,  that  thou  carry  this  human  being  upon  thy  shoulders,  and  con- 
vey him  to  the  Garden  of  Irem,  to  the  presence  of  my  grandmother,  the 
mother  of  my  father  ;  that  thou  convey  him  to  her  tent,  and  take  care  of 
him.  And  when  thou  enterest  the  tent,  thou  with  him,  and  seest  him 
take  the  slippers  and  pay  homage  to  them,  and  she  saith  to  him,  Whence 
art  thou,  and  by  what  way  earnest  thou,  and  who  brought  thee  to  this 
place,  and  for  what  reason  tookest  thou  these  slippers,  and  what  is  thine 
affair,  that  I  may  accomplish  it  for  thee  ?  thereupon  enter  thou  quickly, 
and  salute  her,  and  say  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  I  am  the  person  who 
brought  him  hither,  and  he  is  the  son  of  the  King  of  Egypt,  and  he  is  the 
person  who  went  to  the  Lofty  Palace,  and  killed  the  son  of  the  Blue  King, 
and  delivered  the  Queen  Dowlet  Katoun,  and  conveyed  her  to  her  father 
safe ;  and  I  have  brought  him  to  thee  that  he  may  acquaint  thee  and  give 
thee  the  glad  tidings  of  her  safety  ;  therefore  be  gracious  unto  him.  Then, 
after  that,  say  to  her,  By  Allah,  I  conjure  thee  tell  me,  is  not  this  young 
man  comely,  O  my  mistress  1  And  she  will  answer  thee,  Yes.  And 
thereupon  say  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  verily  he  is  perfect  in  honor,  and 
generosity,  and  courage,  and  he  is  the  Lord  of  Egypt,  and  its  king,  and  he 
compriseth  all  praiseworthy  qualities.  And  when  she  saith  to  thee,  What 
is  his  affair  ?  reply,  My  mistress  saluteth  thee,  and  asketh  thee,  how  long 
shall  she  remain  in  the  house  a  maiden,  unmarried  ?  For  the  time  hath 
become  tedious  to  her.  What,  then,  is  your  desire  in  not  marrying  her, 
and  wherefore  dost  thou  not  marry  her  during  thy  life  and  the  life  of  her 
mother,  like  other  damsels  ?  And  if  she  say  to  thee,  How  shall  we  act 
to  marry  her  ?  If  she  know  any  one,  or  if  any  one  have  occurred  to  her 
mind,  let  her  inform  us  respecting  him,  and  we  will  do  for  her  as  she  wish- 
eth,  as  far  as  may  be  possible  :  then  do  thou  reply,  O  my  mistress,  thy 
daughter  saith  to  thee,  Ye  were  desirous  of  marrying  me  to  Solomon  (on 
whom  be  peace  !),  and  ye  designed  for  him  my  portrait  on  the  tunic.  But 
he  had  no  lot  in  me  ;  and  he  sent  the  tunic  to  the  King  of  Egypt,  who  gavo 
it  to  his  sou,  and  he  saw  my  portrait  delineated  upon  it,  and  became  en- 
amored of  me;  wherefore  he  abandoned  the  kingdom  of  his  father  and 
his  mother,  turning  from  the  world  and  what  it  containeth,  and  came  forth 
wandering  over  the  earth  without  regard  to  any  thing,  and  endured  the 
greatest  of  troubles  and  horrors  on  my  account. 

The  slave  girl  then  took  up  Seifelmolouk,  and  said  to  him,  Close  thine 
eyes.  He  therefore  did  so;  ami  she  dew  up  with  him  to  the  sky;  and 
after  a  while,  she  said  to  him,  O  son  of  the  king,  open  thine  eyes.  So  he 
opened  his  eyes  and  beheld  the  garden,  the  Garden  of  Irem ;  and  the  slave 
girl  Marjana  said  to  him,  Enter,  O  Seifelmolouk,  this  tent.  Upon  this 
Seifelmolouk  uttered  the  name  of  God,  and  entered,  and,  casting  a  look  in 
the  garden,  he  saw  the  old  woman  sitting  upon  the  couch,  with  the  lemale 
slaves  in  attendance  upon  her:  wherefore  he  approached  her  with  polite- 
ness and  reverence,  took  the  slippers  and  kissed  them,  and  did  as  Bedia  El- 
jemal  had  directed  him.  The  old  woman  then  said  to  him,  Who  art  thou, 
and  whence  hast  thou  come,  and  from  what  country  art  thou,  and  who 

319 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDTA  ELJEMAL. 


Marjana  carrying  tfeifelmolonk. 


brought  thee  to  this  place,  and  for  what  reason  tookest  thou  these  slippers 
and  kissedst  them,  and  "when  didst  thou  tell  me  of  a  want  and  I  did  not 
perform  it  for  thee  ?  So  upon  this  the  slave  girl  Marjana  entered,  and  sa- 
inted her  with  politeness  and  reverence  ;  after  which  she  repeated  what 
Bedia  Eljemal  had  told  her.  But  when  the  old  woman  heard  these  words, 
she  cried  out  at  her,  and  was  incensed  against  her,  and  said,  How  can 
there  be  agreement  between  mankind  and  the  Genii  ?  Seifelmolouk  there- 
fore replied,  I  will  agree  with  thee,  and  be  thy  page,  and  die  loving  thee, 
and  keep  thy  covenant,  and  see  none  but  thee,  and  thou  shalt  see  my  ve- 
racity and  my  freedom  from  falsehood,  and  the  excellence  of  my  generosity 
toward  thee,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted!  Then  tlie 
old  woman  reflected  for  some  time,  with  her  head  hung  down  ;  and  after 
that  she  raised  her  head,  and  said,  O  comely  young  man,  wilt  thou  keep 
the  covenant  and  the  compact?  He  answered  her,  Yes,  by  Him  who 
raised  the  heaven  ;md  spread  out  the  earth  upon  the  water,  verily  I  will 
keep  the  covenant.  And  upon  this  the  old  woman  said,  I  will  accomplish 
320 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  EL.TEMAL. 

for  thee  thine  affair,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!); 
but  go  now  into  the  garden,  and  divert  thyself  in  it,  and  eat  of  the  fruits  of 
which  the  equals  exist  not,  and  to  which  there  are  not  in  the  world  the 
like,  while  I  send  to  my  son  Shahyal,  who  will  come,  and  I  will  talk  with 
him  on  that  affair,  and  naught  but  good  will  happen,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted!);  for  he  will  not  oppose  me,  nor  disobey  my 
command.  I  will  marry  to  thee  his  daughter  Bedia  Eljemal :  so  be  of  good 
heart;  for  she  shall  be  thy  wife,  O  Seifelmolouk.  And  when  Seifelmo- 
louk  heard  from  her  these  words,  lie  thanked  her,  and  kissed  her  hands 
and  her  feet,  and  went  forth  from  her  into  the  garden.  The  old  woman 
then  looked  toward  that  slave  girl,  and  said  to  her,  Go  forth  and  search  for 
my  son  Shahyal ;  seek  for  him  in  whatsoever  quarter  and  place  he  is,  and 
bring  him  unto  ine.  So  the  slave  girl  went  and  searched  for  the  King 
Shahyal,  and  she  met  with  him,  and  brought  him  to  his  mother. 

Meanwhile,  Seifelmolouk  was  diverting  himself  in  the  garden,  when  five 
of  the  Genii,  who  were  of  the  subjects  of  the  Blue  King,  saw  him;  and 
they  said,  Whence  is  this  man,  and  who  brought  him  to  this  place?  Per- 
haps he  is  the  person  who  killed  the  son  of  the  Blue  King.  Then  they 
said,  one  to  another,  We  will  employ  a  stratagem  against  him,  and  interro- 
gate him,  and  ask  information  of  him.  So  they  walked  on  by  little  and 
little  until  they  came  to  Seifelmolouk  in  a  side  of  the  garden,  when  they 
seated  themselves  by  him,  and  said  to  him,  O  comely  young  man.  thou  fail- 
edst  not  in  killing  the  son  of  the  Blue  King,  and  delivering  Dowlet  Katoun 
from  him.  He  was  a  perfidious  dog,  and  had  circumvented  her;  and  had 
not  God  sent  thee  to  her  for  that  purpose,  she  had  never  escaped.  But 
how  didst  thou  kill  him  ?  And  Seifelmolouk  looked  at  them  and  answered 
them,  I  killed  him  by  means  of  this  seal-ring  that  is  upon  my  finger.  So 
it  was  evident  to  them  that  he  was  the  person  who  killed  him  :  therefore 
two  of  them  seized  his  hands,  and  two  his  feet,  and  the  other  held  his 
mouth,  lest  he  should  call  out,  and  the  people  of  the  King  Shahyal  should 
hear  him  and  deliver  him  from  their  hands.  Then  they  took  him  up  and 
flew  away  with  him,  and  they  ceased  not  in  their  flight  until  they  alighted 
in  the  presence  of  their  king,  when  they  stationed  him  before  him,  and 
said,  O  king  of  the  age,  we  have  brought  thee  him  who  killed  thy  son. 
And  where  is  he  ?  said  the  king.  They  answered,  This  is  he.  And  the 
Blue  King  said  to  him,  Didst  thou  kill  my  son,  and  the  vital  spark  of  my 
heart,  and  the  light  of  my  eye,  without  right,  and  without  any  offense  that 
he  had  committed  against  thee  1  Seifelmolouk  answered  him,  Yes,  I 
killed  him  ;  but  on  account  of  his  tyranny  and  his  iniquity;  for  he  took  the 
children  of  the  kings  and  conveyed  them  to  the  Abandoned  Well  and  the 
Lofty  Palace,  and  separated  them  from  their  families,  and  acted  impudent- 
ly toward  them.  I  killed  him  by  means  of  this  ring  that  is  upon  my  finger, 
and  God  hurried  his  soul  to  the  fire,  and  miserable  is  the  abode  to  which 
he  hath  gone.  So  it  was  evident  to  the  Blue  King  that  this  was  the  per- 
son who  killed  his  son,  without  doubt;  and  thereupon  he  called  for  his 
vizier,  and  said  to  him,  This  is  the  person  who  killed  my  son,  without  any 
uncertainty  or  doubt.  What,  then,  dost  thou  counsel  me  to  do  in  his  case  ? 
Shall  I  slay  him  in  the  most  abominable  manner,  or  torture  him  with  the 
most  grievous  torture,  or  how  shall  I  act  ?  The  chief  vizier  answered,  Cut 
off  one  of  his  limbs.  Another  said,  Inflict  upon  him  every  day  a  severe 
beating.  Another  said,  Cut  him  through  the  middle.  Another  said,  Cut 
<>  321 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 


% 


r  W§wm 


Genii  carrying  off  Seifelmolouk. 


off  all  his  fingers,  and  burn  them  with  fire.     Another  said,  Crucify  him. 
And  every  one  of  them  proceeded  to  speak  according  to  his  judgment. 

But  there  was  with  the  Blue  King  a  great  emir,  acquainted  with  affairs  and 
with  the  circumstances  of  the  times,  and  he  said  to  the  king,  O  king  of  the 
age,  I  will  say  to  thee  some  words,  and  it  is  thine  to  judge  whether  thou 
wilt  attend  to  that  which  I  counsel  thee  to  do.  He  was  the  counselor  of 
his  kingdom,  and  the  chief  officer  of  his  empire,  and  the  king  used  to  at- 
tend to  his  words,  and  act  according  to  his  judgment,  and  not  oppose  him 
in  aught.  Now  he  rose  upon  his  feet,  kissed  the  ground  before  him, 
and  said  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  if  I  give  thee  advice  in  this  affair,  wilt 
thou  follow  it,  and  wilt  thou  grant  me  indemnity  ?  And  the  king  answer- 
ed him,  Show  thine  opinion,  and  thou  shalt  be  safe.  Then  said  he,  O  king, 
if  thou  kill  this  man,  and  receive  not  my  advice,  nor  consider  my  words,  the 
slaughter  of  him  at  this  time  will  not  be  right;  for  he  is  in  thy  hand  and  in 
thine  asylum,  and  he  is  thy  captive,  and  when  thou  desirest  him  thou  find- 
322 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

est  him,  and  mayest  do  with  him  as  thou  wilt.  Be  patient  then,  O  king  of 
the  age ;  for  this  man  hath  entered  the  Garden  of  Irem,  and  married  Be- 
dia  Eljemal,  the  daughter  of  the  King  Shahyal,  and  become  one  of  them, 
and  thy  people  seized  him  and  brought  him  unto  thee,  and  he  hath  not  con- 
cealed his  case  from  them  nor  from  thee.  So  if  thou  slay  him,  the  King 
Shahyal  will  demand  of  thee  his  blood-revenge,  and  will  act  hostilely  to 
thee,  and  come  to  thee  with  forces  on  account  of  his  daughter,  and  thou 
art  not  able  to  prevail  against  his  forces,  xior  hast  thou  power  to  contend 
with  him.  The  king,  therefore,  attended  to  this  his  advice,  and  gave  orders 
to  imprison  Seifelmolouk.     Thus  did  it  happen  unto  him. 

Now  the  Lady  Bedia  Eljemal,  having  met  with  her  father  Shahyal,  sent 
the  slave  girl  to  search  for  Seifelmolouk;  and  she  found  him  not;  where- 
fore she  returned  to  her  mistress,  and  said,  I  have  not  found  him  in  the 
garden.  And  she  sent  to  the  gardeners,  and  asked  them  respecting  Seif- 
elmolouk ;  and  they  answered,  We  saw  him  sitting  beneath  a  tree,  and  lo, 
five  persons,  of  the  people  of  the  Blue  King,  alighted  by  him  and  convers- 
ed with  him  :  then  they  took  him  up,  and  stopped  his  mouth,  and  flew  with 
him,  and  departed.  So  when  the  Lady  Bedia  Eljemal  heard  these  words, 
the  affair  was  not  a  light  matter  to  her.  She  was  violently  enraged,  and, 
rising  upon  her  feet,  she  said  to  her  father  the  King  Shahyal,  How  is  it 
that  thou  art  king,  and  the  people  of  the  Blue  King  come  to  our  garden, 
and  take  our  guest  and  depart  with  him  in  safety  while  thou  art  living? 
In  like  manner,  his  mother  also  began  to  provoke  him,  and  to  say,  It  is  not 
fit  that  any  one  should  transgress  against  us  while  thou  art  living.  But  he 
replied,  O  my  mother,  this  human  being  killed  the  son  of  the  Blue  King,  a 
Genie ;  so  God  cast  him  into  his  hand  :  how,  then,  should  I  go  to  him  and 
act  hostilely  toward  him  on  account  of  the  human  being?  His  mother, 
however,  said  to  him,  Go  to  him,  and  demand  of  him  our  guest;  and  if  he 
be  living,  and  he  deliver  him  to  thee,  take  him,  and  come  back  ;  but  if  he 
have  slain  him,  seize  the  Blue  King  alive,  him  and  his  children,  and  his  ha- 
rem, and  every  one  who  hath  his  protection  among  his  dependents,  and 
bring  them  alive  unto  me,  that  I  may  slaughter  them  with  mine  own  hand 
and  devastate  his  dwellings.  If  thou  do  not  that  which  I  have  commanded 
thee,  I  wiH  not  hold  thee  lawfully  acquitted  of  the  obligation  that  thou  ow- 
est  me  for  my  milk,  and  lny  rearing  of  thee  shall  be  as  though  it  were  to 
thee  unlawful.  So  upon  this  the  King  Shahyal  arose,  and  commanded  his 
troops  to  go  forth,  and  repaired  unto  him,  in  honor  of  his  mother,  and  from 
a  regard  to  the  feelings  of  herself  and  of  those  who  were  beloved  of  her, 
and  in  order  to  the  accomplishment  of  a  thing  that  had  been  decreed  from 
eternity. 

Shahyal  set  forth  with  his  troops,  and  they  ceased  not  to  pursue  their 
way  until  they  came  to  the  Blue  King,  and  the  two  armies  met;  where- 
upon the  Blue  King  was  defeated  with  his  army,  and  the  victors  seized  his 
children,  great  and  small,  and  the  lords  of  his  empire  aud  its  great  men,  and 
bound  them,  and  brought  them  before  the  King  Shahyal,  who  said  to  the 
Blue  King,  O  Blue,  where  is  Seifelmolouk,  the  human  being,  who  was  my 
guest  ?  The  Blue  King  said  to  him,  O  Shahyal,  thou  art  a  Genie,  and  I  am 
a  Genie,  and  on  account  of  a  human  being  who  hath  killed  my  son  dust 
thou  do  these  deeds  ?  He  is  the  destroyer  of  my  son,  and  the  vital  spark 
of  my  heart,  and  the  ease  of  my  soul,  and  how  hast  thou  done  all  these 
deeds,  and  spilled  the  blood  of  so  many  thousand  Genii  ?     But  Shahval  re- 

323 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

plied,  Desist  from  these  words ;  and  if  he  be  living,  bring  him,  and  I  will 
liberate  thee,  and  will  liberate  every  one  of  thy  children  whom  I  have  seiz- 
ed ;  but  if  thou  have  slain  him,  I  will  slaughter  thee  and  thy  children. 
The  Blue  King  said  to  him,  O  king,  is  this  more  dear  unto  thee  than  my 
son?  The  King  Shahyal  answered  him,  Verily  thy  son  was  a  tyrant;  for 
he  carried  off  the  children  of  men,  and  the  daughters  of  kings,  aud  put 
them  in  the  Lofty  Palace  and  the  Abandoned  Well,  and  acted  impudently 
toward  them.  And  the  Blue  King  said  to  him,  He  is  with  me ;  but  make 
thou  reconciliation  between  us  and  him.  So  he  reconciled  them,  aud  con- 
ferred upon  them  robes  of  honor,  and  he  wrote  a  voucher  agreed  upon  be- 
tween the  Blue  King  and  Seifelmolouk  respecting  the  slaughter  of  the  son 
of  the  former;  after  which,  the  King  Shahyal  received  Seifelmolouk,  and 
entertained  them  handsomely  ;  aud  the  Blue  King  remained  with  him,  he 
and  his  army,  three  days.  Then  Shahyal  took  Seifelmolouk,  and  brought 
him  to  his  mother,  who  rejoiced  exceedingly  at  seeing  him,  and  Shahyal 
wondered  at  the  beauty  of  Seifelmolouk,  and  his  perfection  and  loveliness  ; 
aud  Seifelmolouk  related  to  him  his  story  from  beginning  to  end,  telling  him 
what  had  befallen  him  with  Bedia  Eljemal. 

The  King  Shahyal  then  said,  O  my  mother,  since  thou  hast  consented  to 
this,  I  hear  and  obey  all  that  thou  desirest:  so  take  him  and  go  with  him  to 


324 


Arrival  qf  Seifelmolouk  and  £ai<l  in  the  lain!  of  Ea:vpt. 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

Serendib,  and  celebrate  tliere  a  magnificent  festivity  ;  for  he  is  a  comely 
young  man,  and  hath  endured  honors  on  her  account.  Accordingly,  she 
proceeded  with  her  female  slaves  until  they  arrived  at  Serendib,  and  en- 
tered the  garden  belonging  to  the  mother  of  Dowlet  Katoun.  Bedia  Elje- 
mal  saw  Seifelmolouk,  after  they  had  gone  to  the  tent  and  met  one  another, 
and  the  old  woman  related  to  them  what  he  had  experienced  from  the  Blue 
King,  and  how  he  had  been  at  the  point  of  death  in  the  prison  of  the  Blue 
King.  Then  the  King  Tajelmolouk,  the  father  of  Dowlet  Katoun,  sum- 
moned the  great  men  of  his  empire,  and  they  performed  the  ceremony  of 
the  contract  of  the  marriage  of  Bedia  Eljemal  to  Seifelmolouk,  and  married 
her  to  him ;  and  when  the  ceremony  of  the  contract  was  pertormed,  the 
ushers  of  the  court  cried  out,  May  it  be  blessed  !  He  deserveth  !  and  they 
scattered  the  gold  and  the  silver  upon  the  head  of  Seifelmolouk,  conferred 
costly  robes  of  honor,  and  made  banquets.  Seifelmolouk  then  said  to  Taj- 
elmolouk, O  king,  pardon  !  I  would  ask  of  thee  a  thing,  and  I  fear  that  thou 
mayest  refuse  it  me  and  disappoint  me.  But  Tajelmolouk  replied,  By  Al- 
lah, wert  thou  to  demand  my  soul,  I  would  not  withhold  it  from  thee,  on 
account  of  the  kind  actions  that  thou  hast  done.  So  Seifelmolouk  said,  I 
desire  that  thou  marry  Dowlet  Katoun  to  my  brother  Said,  that  we  may 
both  be  thy  pages.  And  Tajelmolouk  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  He  forth- 
with assembled  the  great  men  of  his  empire  a  second  time,  and  performed 
the  ceremony  of  the  contract  of  the  marriage  of  his  daughter  Dowlet  Ka- 
toun to  Said ;  and  when  they  had  finished  the  ceremony  of  the  contract,  they 
scattered  the  gold  and  silver,  and  the  king  commanded  that  they  should 
decorate  the  city.  They  then  celebrated  the  festivity,  and  Seifelmolouk 
took  Bedia  Eljemal  as  his  wife,  and  Said  took  Dowlet  Katoun  as  his  wile, 
the  same  night.  Seifelmolouk  ceased  not  to  remain  in  retirement  with  Be- 
dia Eljemal  for  forty  days  ;  and  she  said  to  him  one  day,  O  son  of  the  king. 


Sphinx 


325 


STORY  OF  SEIFELMOLOUK  AND  BEDIA  ELJEMAL. 

doth  there  remain  in  thy  heart  a  regret  for  any  thing?  Seifelmolouk  an- 
swered, God  forbid  !  I  have  accomplished  my  want,  and  no  regret  remain- 
eth  in  my  heart;  but  I  desire  to  meet  my  father  and  mother  in  the  land  of 
Egypt,  and  to  see  if  they  have  continued  well  or  not.  So  she  ordered  a 
party  of  her  servants  to  convey  him  and  Said  to  the  land  of  Egypt;  and 
they  conveyed  them  to  their  families  in  Egypt;  and  Seifelmolouk  met  his 
father  and  his  mother,  as  also  did  Said,  and  they  remained  with  them  a 
week.  Then  each  of  them  bade  farewell  to  his  father  and  his  mother,  and 
they  departed  to  the  city  of  Serendib  ;  and  whenever  they  desired  to 
see  their  families,  they  used  to  go  and  return.  Thus  Seifelmolouk  lived 
with  Bedia  Eljemal  a  most  pleasant  and  most  agreeable  life,  and  in  like  man- 
ner did  Said  with  Dowlet  Katoun,  until  they  were  visited  by  the  termina- 
tor of  delights  and  the  separator  of  companions.  Extolled  be  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  Living  who  dieth  not,  who  created  the  creatures,  and  sentenced 
them  to  death,  and  who  is  the  First,  without  beginning,  and  the  Last,  with- 
out end ! 

326 


Hassan  and  the  Persian. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  SEVEN  HUNDRED  AND  SEVENTY-EIGHTH 
NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  EIGHT  HUNDRED  AND  THIRTY- 
FIRST. 

THE  STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

There  was,  in  ancient  times,  a  certain  merchant  residing  in  Balsora,  and 
that  merchant  had  two  male  children,  and  great  wealth.  And  it  happened, 
as  God,  who  heareth  and  khoweth,  decreed,  that  the  merchant  was  admit- 
ted to  the  mercy  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!),  and  left  that  wealth. 
So  his  two  sons  betook  Ihemselves  to  prepare  him  for  the  grave  and  to 
bury  him;  after  which  they  divided  the  wealth  between  them  equally,  and 
each  of  them  took  his  portion,  and  they  opened  for  themselves  two  shops. 
One  of  them  was  a  dealer  in  copper-wares,  and  the  other  was  a  goldsmith. 

Now  while  the  goldsmith  was  sitting  in  his  shop  one  day,  lo,  a  Persian 
walked  along  the  market  street  among  the  people  until  he  came  to  the  shop 
of  the  young  goldsmith,  when  he  looked  at  his  work,  and  examined  it  know- 
ingly, and  it  pleased  him.     And  the  name  of  the  young  goldsmith  was  Has- 

327 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

san.  Then  the  Persian  shook  his  head,  and  said.  By  Allah,  thou  art  an 
excellent  goldsmith  !  And  he  proceeded  to  look  at  his  work,  while  he  (the 
young  man)  was  looking  at  an  old  book  that  was  in  his  hand,  and  the  peo- 
ple were  occupied  with  the  contemplation  of  his  beauty  and  loveliness,  and 
his  stature  and  justness  of  form.  And  when  the,  time  of  afternoon  prayers 
arrived,  the  shop  was  quitted  by  the  people,  and  thereupon  the  Persian  ac- 
costed Hassan,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  thou  art  a  comely  young  man  ! 
What  is  this  book  ?  I  have  not  a  son,  and  I  know  an  art  than  which  there 
is  none  better  that  is  practiced  in  the  world.  Numbers  of  people  have 
asked  me  to  teach  it  them,  and  I  would  not  teach  it  to  any  one  of  them ; 
but  my  soul  hath  consented  that  I  should  teach  it  to  thee,  and  make  thee 
my  son,  and  put  a  barrier  between  thee  and  poverty ;  so  thou  shalt  rest 
from  this  work,  and  laboring  with  the  hammer,  and  the  charcoal,  and  the 
fire.  Hassan  therefore  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  and  when  wilt  thou 
teach  me  ?  He  replied,  To-morrow  I  will  come  to  thee,  and  will  make  for 
thee,  of  copper,  pure  gold  in  thy  presence. 

Upon  this  Hassan  rejoiced,  and  he  bade  farewell  to  the  Persian,  and  went 
to  his  mother.  He  entered  and  saluted  her,  and  ate  with  her;  but  he  was 
stupefied,  without  memory  or  intellect.  So  his  mother  said  to  him,  Wbat 
is  the  matter  with  thee,  O  my  son  ?  Beware  of  listening  to  the  words  of 
the  people,  especially  the  Persians  ;  and  comply  not  with  their  counsel  in 
aught ;  for  these  people  are  great  deceivers,  who  know  the  art  of  alchemy, 
and  trick  people,  and  take  their  wealth,  and  devour  it  by  means  of  false 
pretenses.  But  he  replied,  O  my  mother,  we  are  poor  people,  and  we 
have  nothing  to  be  coveted,  that  any  one  should  trick  us.  A  Persian  hath 
come  to  me  ;  but  he  is  a  virtuous  sheikh,  bearing  marks  of  virtue,  and  God 
hath  inclined  him  toward  me.  And  thereupon  his  mother  kept  silence  in 
her  anger ;  and  her  son  became  busied  in  heart :  sleep  visited  him  not  that 
night  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  his  joy  at  what  the  Persian  had  said  to 
him.  And  when  the  morning  came,  he  rose,  took  the  keys,  and  opened 
the  shop ;  and  lo,  the  Persian  approached  him.  So  he  rose  to  him,  and 
desired  to  kiss  his  hands;  but  the  Persian  refused,  and  would  not  consent 
to  his  doing  that ;  and  said,  O  Hassan,  prepare  the  crucible,  and  place  the 
bellows.  He  therefore  did  as  the  Persian  ordered  him,  and  lighted  the 
charcoal ;  after  which  the  Persian  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  hast  thou  by 
thee  any  copper?  He  answered,  I  have  a  broken  plate.  And  he  ordered 
him  to  press  upon  it  with  the  shears,  and  to  cut  it  into  small  pieces;  and 
he  did  as  he  told  him.  He  cut  it  into  small  pieces,  and  threw  it  into  the 
crucible,  and  blew  upon  it  with  the  bellows  until  it  became  liquid  ;  when 
the  Persian  put  his  hand  to  his  turban,  and  took  forth  from  it  a  paper  folded 
up,  which  he  opened,  and  he  sprinkled  some  of  its  contents  into  the  cruci- 
ble, as  much  as  half  a  drachm.  That  thing  resembled  yellow  kohl ;  and  he 
ordered  Hassan  to  blow  upon  it  with  the  bellows  ;  and  he  did  as  he  ordered 
him  until  the  contents  of  the  crucible  became  a  lump  of  gold.  So  when 
Hassan  beheld  this  he  was  stupefied,  and  his  mind  was  confounded  by  rea- 
son of  the  joy  that  he  experienced.  He  took  the  lump  and  turned  it  over, 
and  he  took  the  file  and  filed  it,  and  saw  it  to  be  pure  gold,  of  the  very  best 
quality.  His  reason  fled,  and  he  was  stupefied  by  reason  of  the  violence 
of  his  joy.  Then  he  bent  down  over  the  hand  of  the  Persian  to  kiss  it ; 
and  the  Persian  said  to  him,  Take  this  lump,  and  go  down  with  it  into  the 
market  and  sell  it,  and  take  it*  price  quickly,  without  speaking  Accord- 
328 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 


Market. 


ingly,  Hassan  went  down  into  the  market,  and  gave  the  lump  to  the  broker, 
who  took  it  of  him,  and  rubbed  it  [on  the  touch-stone],  and  found  it  to  be 
pure  gold.  They  opened  the  bidding  for  it  at  the  sum  of  ten  thousand 
pieces  of  silver,  and  the  merchants  increased  their  offers  for  it,  so  that  he 
sold  it  for  fifteen  thousand  pieces  of  silver. 

He  received  its  price  and  went  home,  and  related  to  his  mother  all  that 
lie  had  done,  saying  to  her,  O  my  mother,  I  have  learned  this  art.  But 
she  laughed  at  him,  and  said,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God, 
the  High,  the  Great!  And  she  kept  silence  in  her  anger.  Then  Hassan, 
in  his  ignorance,  took  a  brass  mortal-  and  went  with  it  to  the  Persian,  who 
was  sitting  in  the  shop,  and  put  it  before  him.  So  he  said  to  him,  O  my 
son,  what  desirest  thou  to  do  with  this  mortar  ?  He  answered,  We  will 
put  it  into  the  fire,  and  make  it  into  lumps  of  gold.  And  the  Persian 
laughed,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  art  thou  mad,  that  thou  wouldst  go 
down  into  the  market  with  two  lumps  in  one  day?  Knowest  thou  not 
that  the  people  would  suspect  us,  and  that  our  lives  would  be  lost?  But, 
O  my  son,  when  1  have  taught  thee  this  art,  do  not  thou  practice  it  in  a 
year  more  than  once:  for  that  will  Buffice  thee  from  year  to  year.  And 
Hassan  replied,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth,  O  my  master.  Then  he  sat  in 
the  shop,  and  put  on  the  crucible,  and  threw  the  charcoal  into  the  fire. 
The  Persian  therefore  said  to  him,  ()  my  son,  what  dost  thou  desire?  He 
answered,  Teach  me  this  art.     But  the  Persian  laughed,  and  said,  There 

3'39 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great !  Thou,  O  my 
son,  art  of  little  sense.  Thou  art  not  suited  for  this  art  at  all.  Doth  any- 
one in  his  life  learn  this  art  in  the  beaten  way,  or  in  the  markets  ?  For  if 
we  occupy  ourselves  with  it  in  this  place,  the  people  will  say  of  us,  Verily 
these  are  practicing  alchemy ;  and  the  magistrates  will  hear  of  us,  and  our 
lives  will  be  lost.  If,  therefore,  O  my  son,  thou  desirest  to  learn  this  art, 
repair  with  me  to  my  house.  So  Hassan  arose  and  closed  his  shop,  and 
went  with  the  Persian.  But  while  he  was  on  the  way,  he  remembered 
the  words  of  his  mother,  and  revolved  in  his  mind  a  thousand  thoughts  ; 
and  he  slopped,  hanging  down  his  head  toward  the  ground  for  some  time ; 
whereupon  the  Persian  looked  aside,  and,  seeing  him  stopping,  laughed, 
and  said  to  him,  Art  thou  mad  ?  How  is  it  that  I  purpose  in  my  heart  to 
do  thee  good,  and  thou  imaginest  that  I  will  injure  thee  ?  Then  the  Per- 
sian said  to  him,  If  thou  be  afraid  to  go  with  me  to  my  house,  I  will  go  with 
thee  to  thy  house,  and  will  teach  thee  there.  So  Hassan  replied,  Yes,  O 
uncle.     And  the  Persian  said  to  him,  Walk  before  me. 

Hassan  therefore  went  on  before  him  to  his  abode,  and  the  Persian  fol- 
lowed him  until  he  arrived  there,  when  Hassan  entered  his  house,  and 
found  his  mother,  and  informed  her  of  the  Persian's  arrival  with  him,  while 
the  Persian  stood  at  the  door.     So  she  furnished  for  them  the  chamber, 


Bahrain  the  Magian. 


and  put  it  in  order,  and  when  she  had  finished  her  affair  she  went  away. 
Then  Hassan  gave  permission  to  the  Persian  to  enter,  and  he  entered  ;  and 
Hassan,  having  taken  in  his  hand  a  plate,  went  with  it  to  the  market  to 
330 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

bring  in  it  something  to  eat-  He  went  forth  and  brought  some  food,  and 
put  it  before  him,  saying  to  him,  Eat,  O  my  master,  that  the  bond  of  bread 
mid  salt  may  be  established  between  us  ;  and  may  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted!)  execute  vengeance  upon  him  who  is  unfaithful  to  the  bond  of 
bread  and  salt!  And  the  Persian  said  to  him,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth,  O 
my  son.  Then  he  smiled,  and  said,  O  my  son,  who  knoweth  the  due  esti- 
mation of  bread  and  salt?  And  the  Persian  advanced,  and  ate  with  Has- 
san until  they  were  satisfied;  when  he  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  O  Hassan, 
bring  for  us  some  sweetmeat.  Hassan  therefore  went  to  the  market,  and 
brought  ten  cups  of  sweetmeat ;  and  he  was  rejoiced  at  the  words  of  the 
Persian.  And  when  he  presented  to  him  the  sweetmeat,  he  ate  of  it,  and 
Hassan  ate  with  him.  The  Persian  then  said  to  him,  May  God  recom- 
pense thee  well,  O  my  son  !  With  such  a  one  as  thou  art  should  men  as- 
sociate, and  him  should  they  acquaint  with  their  secrets,  and  teach  what 
will  profit,  him.  And  he  said.  O  Hassan,  bring  the  apparatus.  And  Has- 
san scarcely  believed  these  words,  when  he  went  forth  like  the  colt  dis- 
missed to  the  spring  pasturage,  and  proceeded  until  he  arrived  at  the  shop, 
and  he  took  the  apparatus,  and  returned,  and  placed  it  before  him.  The 
Persian  thereupon  took  forth  a  piece  of  paper,  and  said,  O  Hassan,  by  the 
bread  and  salt,  wert  thou  not  dearer  than  my  son,  I  would  not  acquaint  thee 
with  this  art.  There  remaineth  not  in  my  possession  aught  of  this  elixir 
save  the  contents  of  this  paper.  But  observe  when  I  compound  the  sim- 
ples and  put  them  before  thee  ;  and  know,  O  my  son,  O  Hassan,  that  thou 
must  put  to  every  ten  pounds  of  copper  half  a  drachm  of  this  which  is  iu 
the  paper,  and  the  ten  pounds  will  become  pure,  unalloyed  gold.  Then  he 
said  to  him,  O  my  son,  O  Hassan,  in  this  paper  are  three  ounces,  of  Egyp- 
tian weight ;  and  after  the  contents  of  this  paper  are  exhausted,  I  will  make 
for  thee  more.  And  Hassan  took  the  paper,  and  saw  in  it  something  yel- 
low, finer  than  the  first;  and  he  said,  O  my  master,  what  is  the  name  of  this, 
and  where  is  it  found,  and  in  what  is  it  made  ?  Upon  this  the  Persian 
laughed,  and  longed  to  get  possession  of  Hassan,  and  said  to  him,  Respect- 
ing what  dost  thou  ask  ?  Do  the  work,  and  be  silent.  And  he  took  forth 
a  cup  belonging  to  the  house,  cut  it  up,  and  threw  it  into  the  crucible,  and 
threw  upon  it  a  little  of  what  was  in  the  paper,  whereupon  it  became  a 
lump  of  pure  gold.  So  when  Hassan  beheld  this,  ho  rejoiced  exceedingly, 
and  became  perplexed  in  his  mind,  entirely  occupied  by  meditation  upon 
that  lump  of  gold. 

The  Persian  then  hastily  took  forth  a  packet  from  his  turban,  cut  it 
open,  and  put  it  into  a  piece  of  the  sweetmeat,  and  said  to  him,  O  Hassan, 
thou  hast  become  my  son,  and  hast  become  clearer  to  me  than  my  soul  and 
my  wealth,  and  I  have  a  daughter  to  whom  I  will  marry  thee.  Hassan 
replied,  I  am  thy  page,  and  whatsoever  thou  dost  with  me,  it  will  be  a  de- 
posit with  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  And  the  Persian  said,  O  my  son, 
have  patience,  and  restrain  thyself,  and  good  fortune  will  betide  thee. 
Then  he  handed  to  him  the  piece  of  sweetmeat,  and  he  took  it,  and  kissed 
his  hand,  and  put  it  into  his  mouth,  not  knowing  what  was  secretly  decreed 
to  befall  him.  lie  swallowed  the  piece  of  sweetmeat,  and  his  head  sunk 
down  before  his  feet,  and  he  became  lost  to  the  world ;  and  when  the  Per- 
sian saw  that  the  calamity  had  come  upon  him,  he  rejoiced  exceedingly. 
Pvising  upon  his  feet,  he  said  to  him,  Thou  hast  fallen  into  the  snare.  O 
young  wretch  !  O  dog  of  the  Arabs  !     For  manv  years  have  I  been  soarch- 

331 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

ing  for  thee,  until  I  got  thee,  O  Hassan  I  He  then  girded  himself,  and  tied 
Hassan's  hands  behind  his  back,  and  bound  his  feet  to  his  hands  ;  after 
which  he  took  a  chest,  emptied  it  of  the  things  that  were  in  it,  put  Hassan 
into  it,  and  locked  it  upon  him.  He  emptied  also  another  chest,  and  put 
into  it  all  the  wealth  that  was  in  Hassan's  abode,  with  the  lump  of  gold  that 
he  had  made,  and,  having  locked  it,  he  went  forth  running  to  the  market, 
and  brought  a  porter,  carried  off  the  two  chests,  and  drew  near  to  the 
moored  vessel.  That  vessel  was  fitted  out  for  the  Persian,  and  her  master 
was  expecting  him  :  so  when  her  crew  saw  him,  they  came  to  him,  and 
carried  the  two  chests,  and  put  them  on  board  the  ship.     The  Persian 


Hassan  conveyed  to  the  ship. 

then  cried  out  to  the  master  and  to  all  the  sailors,  saying  to  them.  Rise  ye ! 
The  affair  is  accomplished,  and  we  have  attained  our  desire.  The  master 
therefore  cried  out  to  the  sailors,  and  said  to  them,  Pull  up  the  anchors, 
and  loose  the  sails  !  And  the  ship  proceeded  with  a  fair  wind.  Such  was 
the  case  with  the  Persian  and  Hassan. 

But  as  to  the  mother  of  Hassan,  she  remained  expecting  him  until  night- 
fall, and  heard  no  sound  of  him,  nor  any  tidings  whatever.     Then  she  came 
to  the  house,  and  saw  it  open,  and  beheld  not  in  it  any  one,  nor  found  the 
chests  nor  the  wealth.     She  therefore  knew  that  her  son  was  lost,  and  that 
332 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSOKA. 

fate  had  taken  effect  upon  him;  and  she  slapped  her  face,  and  rent  her 
garments,  cried  out  and  wailed,  and  began  to  say,  O  my  son !  O  the  de- 
light of  my  heart!     And  she  recited  these  verses: 

My  patience  hath  failed,  and  my  disquietude  is  excessive,  and  excessive  is  my 
wailing  since  your  absence,  and  my  disease  ! 

No  patience  is  left  to  me,  by  Allah,  since  you  quitted  me  !  How  can  I  bear  the 
loss  of  the  object  of  my  hope  1 

After  the  loss  of  my  beloved,  bow  can  I  delight  in  sleep?  And  who  is  he  that  can 
enjoy  a  life  of  abasement  ? 

Thou  bast  gone,  and  made  the  house  and  its  family  desolate,  and  my  clear  draughts 
thou  hast  rendered  turbid. 

Thou  wast  mine  aid  in  every  adversity,  and  my  glory  and  my  honor  among  man- 
kind, and  my  reliance. 

Canceled  be  the  day  whereon  thou  wast  taken  away  from  my  sight,  until  I  see 
thee  return  to  me  ! 

She  continued  to  weep  and  wail  till  the  morning,  when  the  neighbors  came 
in  to  her,  and  asked  her  respecting  her  son,  and  she  informed  them  of  that 
which  had  happened  to  him  with  the  Persian.  She  felt  certain  that  she 
should  never  see  him  after  that,  and  went  about  the  house  weeping;  and 
while  she  thus  went  about,  lo,  she  saw  two  lines  written  upon  the  wall : 
wherefore  she  brought  a  learned  man,  who  read  them  to  her ;  and  they 
were  these : 

Leyla's  phantom  came  by  night,  when  drowsiness  had  overcome  me,  toward  morn- 
ing, while  my  companions  were  sleeping  in  the  desert ; 

But  when  we  awoke  to  behold  the  nightly  phantom,  I  saw  the  air  vacant,  and  the 
place  of  visitation  was  distant. 

So  when  the  mother  of  Hassan  heard  these  verses,  she  called  out  and  said, 
\'es,  O  my  sou !  Verily  the  house  is  desolate,  and  the  place  of  visitation 
is  distant !  Then  the  neighbors  bade  her  farewell,  after  they  had  prayed 
for  her  that  she  might  have  patience,  and  that  she  might  soon  experience  a 
reunion,  and  departed.  But  the  mother  of  Hassan  ceased  not  to  weep 
during  the  hours  of  the  night  and  the  periods  of  the  day  ;  and  she  built  in 
the  midst  of  the  house  a  tomb,  on  which  she  inscribed  the  name  of  Has- 
san, with  the  date  of  his  loss.  She  quitted  not  that  tomb ;  and  such  was 
her  habit  incessantly  from  the  time  that  her  son  was  separated  from  her. 

Now,  again,  as  to  her  son  Hassan  with  the  Persian.  This  Persian  was  a 
Magian  :  he  hated  the  Mohammedans  greatly,  and  whenever  he- got  power 
over  any  one  of  them,  he  destroyed  him.  He  was  a  wicked,  vile  alche- 
mist, such  as  the  poet  hath  thus  described  : 

He  is  a  dog.  a  dog's  son,  and  a  dog  was  his  grandsire  ;  aud  no  good  is  in  a  dog, 
the  issue  of  a  dog. 

The  name  of  that  accursed  wretch  was  Bahrain  the  Magian,  and  he  used 
every  year  to  take  a  Mohammedan  and  to  slaughter  him  over  a  hidden 
treasure.  And  when  his  stratagem  was  accomplished  against  Hassan  the 
goldsmith,  and  he  had  proceeded  with  him  from  the  commencement  of  day 
until  night,  the  ship  moored  on  the  shore  till  morning;  and  at  sunrise, 
when  the  ship  continued  her  course,  the  Persian  ordered  his  black  slaves  and 
his  pages  to  bring  to  him  the  chest  in  which  was  Hassan.  So  they  brought 
it  to  him,  and  he  opened  it,  and  took  him  forth  from  it.  He  then  poured 
some  vinegar  into  his  nostrils,  and  blew  a  powder  into  his  nose  ;  whereup- 
on he  sneezed,  and  vomited  the  bluing,  and,  opening  his  eyes,  he  looked  to 
the  right  and  left,  and  found  himself  in  the  midst  of  the  sea.  the  ship  in  its 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


Hassan's  tomu. 


course,  and  the  Persian  sitting  by  him.  He  therefore  knew  that  it  was  a 
stratagem  practiced  against  him,  that  the  accursed  Magian  had  done  it,  and 
that  he  had  fallen  into  the  calamity  against  which  his  mother  had  caution- 
ed him.  So  he  pronounced  the  words  of  which  the  utterer  is  secure  from 
confusion,  and  which  are  these  :  There  is  no.  strength  nor  power  but  in 
God,  the  High,  the  Great !  Verily  to  God  we  belong,  and  verily  unto  Him 
we  return!  O  Allah,  act  graciously  with  me  in  thine  appointment,  and 
make  me  to  endure  with  patience  thine  affliction,  O  Lord  of  all  creatures ! 
Then,  looking  toward  the  Persian,  he  spoke  to  him  with  soft  words,  and 
said  to  him,  O  my  father,  what  are  these  deeds,  and  where  is  thy  respect 
for  the  bread  and  salt,  and  the  oath  that  thou  sworest  to  me  ?  But  he  look- 
ed at  him,  and  said  to  him,  O  dog,  doth  such  a  one  as  myself  know  an  ob- 
ligation imposed  by  bread  and  salt  ?  I  have  slain  a  thousand  youths  like 
thee,  save  one  youth,  and  thou  shalt  complete  the  thousand.  And  he  cried 
out  at  him ;  so  he  was  silent,  and  he  knew  that  the  arrow  of  fate  had 
pierced  him. 

The  accursed  then  gave  orders  to  loose  his  bonds  ;  after  which  they  gave 
him  to  drink  a  little  water,  while  the  Magian  laughed,  and  said,  By  the  fire, 
and  the  light,  and  the  shade,  and  the  heat,  I  did  not  imagine  that  thou 
334 


STORY  OF  HASSAX  OF  BALSORA. 

wouldst  fall  into  my  net;  but  the  fire  strengthened  me  against  thee,  and 
aided  me  to  seize  thee,  that  I  might  accomplish  my  affair,  and  return,  and 
make  thee  a  sacrifice  to  it,  that  it  might  be  pleased  with  me.  So  Hassan 
replied,  Thou  hast  been  unfaithful  to  the  bond  of  bread  and  salt.  And 
upon  this  the  Magian  raised  his  hand  and  gave  him  a  blow,  and  he  fell,  and 
bit  the  deck  with  his  teeth,  and  fainted,  his  tears  running  down  his  cheek. 
The  Magian  then  ordered  that  they  should  light  for  him  a  fire  ;  therefore 
Hassan  said  to  him,  What  wilt  thou  do  with  it  ?  He  answered  him,  This 
is  the  fire  that  emitteth  light  and  sparks,  and  it  is  what  I  worship ;  and  if 
thou  wilt  worship  it  as  1  do,  I  will  give  thee  half  my  wealth,  and  marry 
to  thee  my  daughter.  But  Hassan  cried  out  at  him,  and  said  to  him,  Woe 
to  thee  !  Thou  art  surely  an  infidel  Magian  :  thou  worshipest  the  fire  in- 
stead of  the  Almighty  King,  the  Creator  of  the  night  and  the  day,  and 
this  is  naught  but  an  evil  among  religions.  And  thereupon  the  Magian 
was  enraged,  and  said,  Wilt  thou  not  agree  with  me,  O  dog  of  the  Arabs, 
and  embrace  my  religion  ?  But  Hassan  agreed  not  with  him  therein,  and 
the  accursed  Magian  arose,  and  prostrated  himself  to  the  fire,  and  ordered 
his  young  men  to  throw  Hassan  down  upon  his  face.  So  they  threw  him 
down  upon  his  face,  and  the  Magian  proceeded  to  beat  him  with  a  whip  of 
plaited  thongs  until  he  lacerated  his  sides,  while  he  cried  for  aid,  but  was 
not  aided,  and  implored  protection,  but  none  protected  him ;  and  he  raised 
his  eye  to  the  Avenging  King,  and  endeavored  to  propitiate  him  by  appeal- 
ing to  the  Chosen  Prophet.  He  had  lost  his  patience,  his  tears  ran  down 
upon  his  cheeks  like  rain,  and  he  recited  these  two  verses  : 

I  will  endure  with  patience,  O  my  Lord,  what  thou  hast  ordered.  I  will  be  pa- 
tient, if  so  I  may  obtain  thine  approval. 

They  have  tyrannized  over  us,  and  transgressed,  and  commanded.  Perhaps,  in 
thy  beneficence,  Thou  wilt  pardon  what  is  past. 

Then  the  Magian  ordered  the  slaves  to  make  him  sit,  and  to  bring  him 
some  food  and  drink.  So  they  brought  it;  but  he  would  not  eat  nor  drink. 
The  Magian  proceeded  to  torture  him  night  and  day  during  the  voyage, 
while  he  endured  with  patience,  and  humbled  himself  to  God  (to  whom  be 
ascribed  might  and  glory!);  and  the  heart  of  the  Magian  was  hardened 
against  him. 

They  ceased  not  to  pursue  their  voyage  over  the  sea  for  a  period  of 
three  months,  during  which  Hassan  continued  to  suffer  torture  from  the 
Magian  ;  but  when  the  three  months  were  completed,  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted  !)  sent  against  the  ship  a  wind,  and  the  sea  became  black,  and  toss- 
ed the  ship  with  violence  by  reason  of  the  greatness  of  the  wind.  And 
thereupon  the  master  and  the  sailors  said,  This,  by  Allah,  is  all  occasion- 
ed by  the  crime  committed  against  this  young  man,  who  hath  been  for 
three  months  suffering  torment  from  this  Magian,  and  this  is  not  allowed 
by  Goq\  whose  name  be  exalted!  Then  they  rose  against  the  Magian, 
and  slew  his  young  men  and  all  who  were  with  him.  So  when  the  Ma- 
gian saw  that  they  had  slain  the  young  men,  he  made  sure  of  destruction, 
and  feared  for  himself;  wherefore  he  loosed  Hassan  from  his  bonds,  pull- 
ed oil  from  him  the  tattered  garments  that  were  upon  him,  and  clad  him 
with  others  ;  and  he  made  peace  with  him,  promising  that  he  would  teach 
him  the  art,  and  restore  him  to  his  country,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  son, 
blame  me  not  lor  that  which  I  have  done  unto  thee.  But  Hassan  said  to 
him,  How  can  I  any  longer  rely  upon  thee  ?     He  rejoined,  O  my  son,  were 

335 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 

it  not  for  offense,  there  were  no  such  thing  as  pardon ;  and  I  did  not  unto 
thee  these  deeds  save  for  the  purpose  of  my  seeing  thy  patience  ;  and  thou 
knowest  that  the  case  is  wholly  in  the  hand  of  God.  The  sailors,  there- 
fore, and  the  master  rejoiced  at  his  release,  and  Hassan  prayed  for  them, 
and  praised  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  thanked  Him.  Then  the 
winds  became  stilled,  the  darkness  was  withdrawn,  and  the  wind  and  the 
voyage  became  pleasant.  And  Hassan  said  to  the  Magian,  O  Persian, 
whither  repairest  thou  ?  He  answered,  O  my  son,  I  am  going  to  the 
Mountain  of  the  Clouds,  on  which  is  the  elixir  wherewith  we  practice  al- 
chemy. And  the  Magian  swore  to  him  by  the  fire  aud  the  light  that  he  no 
longer  meditated  to  do  Hassan  aught  that  might  frighten  him.  So  the  heart 
of  Hassan  was  comforted ;  he  was  rejoiced  at  the  words  of  the  Magian, 
and  proceeded  to  eat  with  him,  aud  drink  and  sleep  ;  and  the  Magian  clad 
him  with  his  own  apparel. 

They  continued  their  voyage  for  three  months  more  ;  after  which  the 
vessel  moored  on  a  long  coast,  all  of  it  composed  of  pebbles,  white,  and  yel- 
low, and  blue,  and  black,  and  of  every  other  color.  And  when  the  vessel 
moored,  the  Persian  rose,  and  said,  O  Hassan,  arise  and  land ;  for  we  have 
arrived  at  the  place  of  our  desire  and  our  wish.  So  Hassan  arose  and  land- 
ed with  the  Persian,  and  the  Magian  charged  the  master  to  attend  to  his 
affairs.  Then  Hassan  walked  on  with  the  Magian  until  they  were  far  from 
the  ship,  and  had  disappeared  from  before  the  eyes  of  the  crew ;  where- 
upon the  Magian  seated  himself,  and  took  forth  from  his  pocket  a  drum  of 
copper,  and  a  tassel  of  silk  worked  with  gold,  and  bearing  talismans,  and  he 
beat  the  drum ;  and  when  he  beat  it,  there  appeared  a  dust  from  the  fur- 
ther part  of  the  desert.  Hassan  therefore  wondered  at  his  action,  and 
feared  him;  and  he  repented  of  his  having  landed  with  him,  and  his  com- 
plexion changed.  So  upon  this  the  Magian  looked  at  him,  and  said  to  him, 
What  aileth  thee,  O  my  son  ?  By  the  fire  and  the  light,  thou  hast  nothing 
to  fear  from  me ;  and  were  it  not  that  my  affair  can  not  be  accomplished 
save  by  thy  means,  1  had  not  brought  thee  out  from  the  ship.  Rejoice  at 
the  prospect  of  every  thing  good.  This  dust  is  the  dust  occasioned  by  a 
thing  that  we  shall  mount,  and  it  will  aid  us  to  cross  this  desert,  and  will 
render  easy  unto  us  the  inconvenience  thereof.  And  but  a  little  while  had 
elapsed  when  the  dust  dispersed  and  discovered  three  excellent  she-camels. 
Then  the  Persian  mounted  one  of  them,  and  Hassan  mounted  one,  and 
they  put  their  provisions  on  the  third  ;  and  they  proceeded  for  seven  days, 
after  which  they  came  to  an  extensive  tract ;  and  when  they  alighted  at 
that  tract,  they  beheld  a  cupola  constructed  upon  four  columns  of  red  gold. 
They  alighted  from  the  she-camels,  and,  having  entered  beneath  the  cupo- 
la, ate,  and  drank,  and  rested ;  and  Hassan  happened  to  look  aside,  and  he 
saw  something  lofty:  so  he  said  to  the  Magian,  What  is  this,  O  uncle? 
The  Magian  answered,  This  is  a  palace.  And  Hassan  said  to  him,  Wilt 
thou  not  arise,  that  we  may  enter  it  to  rest  ourselves  in  it  and  to  divert 
ourselves  with  the  sight  of  it  ?  But  the  Magian,  upon  this,  went  away, 
saying  to  him,  Mention  not  to  me  this  palace  ;  for  in  it  is  my  enemy,  aud 
with  him  there  happened  to  me  an  event  of  which  this  is  not  the  time  to 
inform  thee. 

Then  he  beat  the  drum,  and  the  she-camels  approached  :  so  they  mount- 
ed ;  and  they  proceeded  for  seven  days  more ;  and  when  the  eighth  day 
arrived,  the  Magian  said.  O  Hassan,  what  is  it  that  thou  seest?  Hassan 
336 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSuRA. 


answered,  1  see  clouds  and  mists  be- 
tween the  east  and  the  west.  And 
the  Magian  replied,  This  is  not 
clouds  nor  mists ;  but  it  is  a  great 
lofty  mountain,  whereon  the  clouds 
divide,  and  there  are  not  any  clouds 
above  it,  on  account  of  its  excessive 
height  and  vast  elevation.  This 
mountain  is  the  object  of  my  desire, 
and  upon  it  is  that  which  we  want. 
For  the  sake  of  this  I  brought  thee 
with  me,  and  my  affair  will  be  ac- 
complished by  thy  means.  So 
thereupon  Hassan  despaired  of  life. 
He  then  said  to  the  Magian,  By  the 
object  of  thy  worship,  and  by  what 
thou  believest  in  thy  religion,  what 
is  the  thing  on  account  of  which  thou 
hast  brought  me  ?  And  he  answered 
him,  The  art  of  alchemy  will  not 
succeed  save  by  means  of  an  herb 
that  groweth  in  the  place  where  the 
clouds  pass,  and  on  which  they  fire 
separated ;  and  it  is  this  mountain  : 
the  herb  is  upon  it ;  and  when  we 
have  obtained  the  herb,  I  will  show 
thee  what  is  this  art.  And  Has- 
san replied,  by  reason  of  his  fear, 
Yes,  O  my  master.  He  had  de- 
spaired of  life,  and  he  wept  on  ac- 
count of  his  separation  from  his 
mother,  and  his  family,  and  his  home, 
repenting  of  his  having  opposed  his 
mother,  and  recited  these  two  verses, 

Consider  the  doings  of  thy  Lord,  how 

happiness  cometh  unto  thee,  with 

speedy  relief; 
And  despair  not  when  thou  sufferest 

affliction  ;  for  how  many  wondrous 

mercies  attend  affliction  ! 

They  ceased  not  to  proceed  un- 
til they  arrived  at  that  mountain, 
and  stopped  beneath  it,  when  Has- 
san saw  upon  that  mountain  a  pal- 
ace :  so  he  said  to  the  Magian, 
What  is  this  palace  ?  And  the  Ma- 
gian answered,  This  is  the  abode  of 
the  Genii,  and  the  Ghouls,  and  the 
Devils.  Then  the  Magian  alighted 
from  his  camel,  and  ordered  Has- 
san to  alight  also  ;  and  he  came  to 

Vol.  II.— P 


' 


The  Magian  summoning  camels. 
337 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

him  and  kissed  his  head,  and  said  to  him,  Blame  me  not  for  that  which 
I  did  to  thee.  I  will  preserve  thee  when  thou  ascendest  to  the  pal- 
ace, and  it  behooveth  thee  that  thou  be  not  dishonest  to  me  in  aught  of  that 
which  thou  wilt  bring  thence  :  I  will  share  it  with  thee  equally.  And  he 
replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  The  Persian  then  opened  a  leathern  bag,  and 
took  forth  from  it  a  mill,  and  he  also  took  forth  from  it  a  quantity  of  wheat, 
and  ground  it  with  that  mill ;  after  which  he  kneaded  the  flour,  and  made 
of  it  three  round  cakes,  and  lighted  a  fire,  and  baked  the  cakes.  He  next 
took  forth  the  copper  drum  and  the  figured  silk  tassel,  and  beat  the  drum ; 
whereupon  the  camels  came  ;  and  he  chose  one  of  them,  and  slaughtered 
it,  and  stripped  off  its  skin.  Then  looking  toward  Hassan,  he  said  to  him, 
Hear,  O  my  son,  O  Hassan,  what  I  charge  thee  to  do.  He  replied,  Well. 
And  the  Magian  said,  Enter  this  skin,  and  I  will  sew  it  up  over  thee,  and 
will  lay  thee  upon  the  ground;  thereupon  the  rocs  will  come,  and  cany 
thee  off,  and  fly  with  thee  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  And  take  thou 
this  knife  with  thee,  and  when  the  birds  have  finished  their  flight,  and  thou 
knowest  that  they  have  put  thee  upon  the  mountain,  cut  open  with  it  the 
skin,  and  go  forth;  for  the  birds  will  fear  thee  and  will  fly  away  from  thee  ; 
and  do  thou  look  down  to  me  from  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  and  speak 
to  me,  that  I  may  inform  thee  of  that  which  thou  shalt  do.  He  then  pre- 
pared for  him  the  three  cakes,  and  a  leathern  bottle  containing  water,  and 
put  them  with  him  into  the  skin;  after  which  he  sewed  it  up  over  him, 
and  went  a  distance  from  him.  And  the  rocs  came  and  carried  him  off, 
flew  with  him  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  and  there  put  him  down. 
So  when  Hassan  knew  that  they  had  put  him  upon  the  mountain,  he  cut 
open  the  skin  and  came  forth  from  it,  and  spoke  to  the  Magian,  who,  on 
hearing  his  words,  rejoiced,  and  danced  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  his 
joy ;  and  he  said  to  him,  Go  in  the  direction  to  which  thy  back  is  turned, 
and  tell  me  what  thou  seest.  Hassan  therefore  went,  and  he  beheld  many 
rotten  bones,  by  which  was  much  wood,  and  he  informed  him  of  all  that 
he  saw;  upon  which  the  Magian  said,  This  is  the  object  of  desire  and 
search.  Take,  then,  of  the  wood  six  bundles,  and  throw  them  down  to 
me  ;  for  this  wood  is  the  material  with  which  we  shall  perform  the  alchem- 
ical process.  So  he  threw  down  to  him  the  six  bundles;  and  when  the 
Magian  saw  that  those  bundles  had  come  down  to  him,  he  said  to  Hassan, 
O  young  wretch,  the  thing  that  I  desired  of  thee  hath  been  accomplished  ; 
and  if  thou  wilt,  remain  upon  this  mountain,  or  cast  thyself  down  upon  the 
ground,  that  thou  mayest  perish.     Then  the  Magian  departed. 

Upon  this  Hassan  exclaimed,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God, 
the  High,  the  Great !  This  dog  hath  circumvented  me  !  He  sat  wailing 
for  himself,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

When  God  willeth  an  event  to  befall  a  man  who  is  eudowed  with  reason,  and 

hearing,  and  sight, 
He  deafeneth  his  ears,  and  blindeth  his  heart,  and  draweth  his  reason  from  him  as 

a  hair, 
Till,  having-  fulfilled  his  purpose  against  him,  He  restoreth  him  his  reason  that  he 

may  be  admonished. 
Then  say  not  of  an  event,  How  did  it  happen  ?  for  every  thing  happeneth  by  fate 

and  destiny. 

He  then  stood  upon  his  feet,  and  looked  to  the  right  and  left,  and  walked 
along  the  summit  of  the  mountain.     He  made  sure  of  his  death,  and  he 
proceeded  to  walk  along  until  he  came  to  the  other  side  of  the  mountain, 
338 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BAL805A. 

when  he  saw,  by  the  side  of  the  mountain,  a  blue  sea,  agitated  with  waves  ; 
and  it  was  foamy,  and  every  wave  of  it  was  like  a  great  mountain.  There- 
upon he  sat,  and  recited  an  easy  portion  of  the  Koran,  and  begged  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted!)  to  alleviate  his  trouble,  either  by  death,  or  by 
deliverance  from  these  difficulties  ;  after  which  he  recited  for  himself  the 
funeral  prayer,  and  cast  himself  into  the  sea.     The  waves,  however,  bore 


/''""!■■- -^  ^--   " 


Hassan  falling  from  the  summit  of  the  mountain. 


him  along  safely,  by  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!),  until  he 
came  forth  from  the  sea  sale.  by  the  decree  of  God.  So  he  rejoiced,  and 
praised  God  (exalted  be  his  name  !),  and  thanked  Him. 

He  then  arose  and  walked  along,  searching  for  something  to  eat ;  and 
while  lie  was  doing  thus,  lo,  he  came  to  the  place  where  he  was  with  Bah- 
rain the  Magian.  And  he  walked  on  a  while,  and  saw  a  e;roat  palace  ris- 
ing high  into  the  air.  He  therefore  went  to  it;  and  behold,  it  was  the  pal- 
ace respecting  which  he  asked  the  Magian,  and  of  which  he  said  to  him, 
In  this  palace  is  my  enemy.  And  upon  this  Hassan  said,  By  Allah,  I  must 
enter  this  palace.  Perhaps  I  may  experience  relief  in  it.  And  when  he 
came  to  it,  he  saw  its  door  open.  So  he  entered  the  door-way  ;  and  he 
saw  a  seat  in  the  entrance  passage,  and  on  the  seat  two  damsels  like  two 

339 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

moons,  with  a  chess-table  before  them,  and  they  were  playing ;  and  one 
of  them,  raising  her  head  toward  him,  cried  out  by  reason  of  her  joy,  and 
said,  By  Allah,  this  is  a  human  being,  and  I  imagine  that  he  is  the  person 
whom  Bahrain  the  Magian  brought  this  year.  Therefore,  when  Hassan 
heard  her  words,  he  cast  himself  down  before  them,  and  wept  violently, 
and  said,  O  my  mistresses,  I  am  that  poor  person.  And  upon  this  the 
younger  damsel  said  to  her  sister  the  elder,  Bear  witness  against  me,  O 
my  sister,  that  this  is  my  brother  by  a  covenant  and  compact  before  God, 
and  that  I  will  die  for  his  death,  and  live  for  his  life,  and  rejoice  for  his  joy, 
and  mourn  for  his  mourning.  Then  she  rose  to  him,  and  embraced  and 
kissed  him,  and,  taking  him  by  his  hand,  led  him  into  the  palace,  her  sis- 
ter accompanying  her;  and  she  pulled  off  from  him  the  tattered  clothing 
that  was  upon  him,  and  brought  him  a  suit  of  royal  apparel,  with  which 
she  clad  him.  She  also  prepared  for  him  viands  of  every  kind,  and  pre- 
sented them  to  him,  and  she  and  her  sister  sat  and  ate  with  him  ;  and  they 
said  to  him,  Relate  to  us  thine  adventure  with  the  wicked  dog,  the  enchant- 
er, from  the  time  of  thy  falling  into  his  hand  to  the  time  of  thine  escape 
from  him,  and  we  will  relate  to  thee  what  hath  happened  to  us  with  him 
from  the  first  of  the  case  to  the  last,  that  thou  mayest  be  on  thy  guard  if 
thou  see  him  again.  And  when  Hassan  heard  from  them  these  words,  and 
saw  their  kind  reception  of  him,  his  soul  was  tranquilized,  and  his  reason 
returned  to  him,  and  he  proceeded  to  relate  to  them  what  had  happened 
to  him  with  the  Magian  from  first  to  last;  whereupon  they  said  to  him, 
Didst  thou  ask  him  respecting  this  palace  ?  He  answered,  Yes,  I  asked 
him,  and  he  said  to  me,  I  like  not  the  mention  of  it ;  for  this  palace  be- 
longeth  to  the  Devils  and  Demons.  So  the  two  damsels  were  violently 
enraged,  and  said,  Did  this  infidel  call  us  Devils  and  Demons  ?  He  an- 
swered them,  Yes.  And  the  younger,  the  sister  of  Hassan,  said,  By  Al- 
lah, I  will  surely  slay  him  in  the  most  abominable  manner,  and  I  will  sure- 
ly deprive  him  of  the  air  of  the  world  !  And  how,  said  Hassan,  wilt  thou 
get  to  him  and  slay  him  ?  She  answered,  He  is  in  a  garden  called  Mesh- 
id,  and  I  must  without  fail  slay  him  soon.  And  her  sister  said  to  her, 
Hassan  hath  spoken  truth,  and  all  that  he  hath  said  of  this  dog  is  true  :  but 
relate  to  him  our  whole  story,  that  it  may  remain  in  his  memory.  So  the 
young  damsel  said : 

Know,  O  my  brother,  that  we  are  of  the  daughters  of  the  kings.  Our 
father  is  one  of  the  kings  of  the  Genii,  of  great  dignity,  and  he  hath  troops, 
and  guards,  and  servants,  consisting  of  Marids ;  and  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted!)  hath  blessed  him  with  seven  daughters  by  one  wife;  but  such 
folly,  and  jealousy,  and  pride  as  can  not  be  surpassed  affected  him,  so  that  he 
married  us  not  to  any  one.  Then  he  summoned  his  viziers  and  his  com- 
panions, and  said  to  them,  Do  ye  know  any  place  for  me  that  no  one  can 
invade,  neither  any  of  mankind  nor  any  of  the  Genii,  and  that  aboundeth  with 
frees,  and  fruits,  and  rivers  ?  So  they  said  to  him,  What  wouldst  thou  do 
rhere,  O  king  of  the  age  ?  He  answered,  I  desire  to  place  in  it  my  seven 
daughters.  And  thereupon  they  said  to  him,  O  king,  the  Palace  of  the 
Mountain  of  the  Clouds,  which  an  Afrite  of  the  refractory  Genii,  who  stub- 
bornly disobeyed  the  vow  exacted  by  Solomon  (on  whom  be  peace!),  found- 
ed, and  which  palace,  after  that  Afrite  perished,  none  inhabited  after  him, 
neithe.r  any  of  the  Genii  nor  any  of  mankind,  will  be  suitable  for  them  ;  for 
it  is  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  world.  None  gaineth  access  to  it;  and 
340 


STOKY  OF  HASSAN  OK  BALSOKA. 

around  it  are  trees,  and  fruits,  and  rivers,  and  around  it  is  running  water 
sweeter  than  honey  and  colder  than  snow  :  no  one  having  the  leprosy,  or 
elephantiasis,  or  other  diseases,  ever  drank  of  it  without  being  cured  imme- 
diately. So  when  our  father  heard  of  this,  he  sent  us  to  this  palace,  and 
sent  with  us  soldiers  and  troops,  and  collected  for  us  what  we  require  in  it. 
He  used,  when  he  desired  to  ride,  to  beat  the  drum  ;  whereupon  all  the 
troops  presented  themselves  to  him,  and  he  chose  whom  of  them  he  would 
mount,  and  the  rest  departed.  And  when  our  father  desireth  that  we 
should  visit  him,  he  ordereth  the  enchanters,  his  dependents,  to  bring  us, 
and  they  come  to  us,  and  take  us  and  convey  us  to  his  presence,  that  he 
may  cheer  himself  by  our  society,  and  that  we  may  accomplish  our  de- 
sires by  seeing  him  :  then  he  sendeth  us  back  to  our  place.  We  have  five 
sisters,  who  have  gone  to  hunt  in  this  adjacent  desert;  for  in  it  are  wild 
beasts  that  can  not  be  numbered  nor  calculated.  Each  two  of  us  have  their 
turn  to  remain  at  home  for  the  purpose  of  cooking  the  food,  and  the  turn 
came  to  us,  me,  and  this  my  sister;  therefore  we  remained  to  cook  for 
them  the  food;  and  we  were  begging  God  (whose  perfection  be  extolled, 
and  whose  name  be  exalted  !)  that  He  would  bless  us  with  a  human  being 
to  cheer  us  by  his  company.  Then  praise  be  to  God  who  hath  brought 
thee  unto  us!  And  do  thou  be  of  good  heart  and  cheerful  eye.  No  harm 
shall  befall  thee. 

So  Hassan  rejoiced,  and  said,  Praise  be  to  God  who  hath  guided  us  to 
the  way  of  deliverance,  and  hath  moved  hearts  with  affection  and  compas- 
sion for  us !  Then  his  sister  arose  and  took  him  by  his  hand,  led  him  into 
a  private  chamber,  and  brought  out  from  it  linen  and  furniture  such  as  no 
creature  could  procure.  And  after  a  while  their  sisters  returned  from  the 
chase,  and  they  acquainted  them  with  the  case  of  Hassan  ;  whereupon  they 
rejoiced  at  his  arrival,  and,  coming  in  to  him  in  the  private  chamber,  they 
saluted  him  and  congratulated  him  on  his  safety.  He  remained  with  them, 
passing  the  most  pleasant  life,  and  enjoying  the  most  agreeable  happiness, 
and  lie  used  to  go  forth  with  them  to  the  chase,  and  slaughter  the  game. 
Thus  Hassan  became  familiar  with  them,  and  he  ceased  not  to  reside  with 
them  in  this  condition  until  his  body  became  healthy,  and  he  recovered 
from  the  state  in  which  he  was  ;  his  frame  was  invigorated,  and  he  became 
stout  and  fat,  by  reason  of  the  generous  treatment  that  he  enjoyed,  and 
his  residence  with  them  in  that  place.  He  amused  and  diverted  himself 
with  them  in  that  decorated  palace,  and  in  all  the  gardens  and  among  the 
flowers,  while  they  treated  him  with  courtesy,  and  cheered  him  with  dis- 
course, and  his  sadness  ceased.  The  damsels  became  exceedingly  joyful 
and  happy  in  his  society,  and  he  rejoiced  in  their  society  more  than  they 
rejoiced  in  him.  And  afterward,  his  sister,  the  young  damsel,  related  to 
her  sisters  the  story  of  Bahrain  the  Magian,  telling  them  that  he  had 
called  them  Devils,  and  Demons,  and  Ghouls;  whereupon  they  swore  to  her 
thai  he  should  surely  be  slain. 

Then,  in  the  following  year,  the  accursed  came,  having  with  him  a  come- 
ly young  man,  a  Mohammedan,  resembling  the  moon,  shackled,  and  tortured 
in  the  most  cruel  manner;  and  he  alighted  with  him  beneath  the  palace 
where  Hassan  introduced  himself  to  the  damsels.  Now  Hassan  was  sit- 
ting by  the  river,  beneath  the  trees;  and  when  he  beheld  the  Magian,  his 
heart  palpitated,  his  complexion  changed,  and  he  struck  his  hands  together, 
and  said  to  the  damsels.  By  Allah.  O  my  sisters,  aid  me  to  slay  this  ac- 

341 


SfORY  OF   HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

cursed  wretch  ;  for  here  he  hath  come,  and  he  hath  fallen  into  your  hands, 
and  with  him  is  a  young  Mohammedan,  a  captive,  of  the  sons  of  the  great, 
whom  he  is  torturing  with  varieties  of  painful  torture.  I  desire  to  slay 
him,  that  I  may  heal  my  soul  by  taking  vengeance  upon  him,  that  I  may 
also  release  this  young  man  from  his  torture,  and  gain  the  recompense 
thereof  [from  God],  and  that  the  young  Mohammedan  may  return  to  his 
home,  and  be  reunited  to  his  brethren,  and  his  family  and  friends.  That 
action  will  be  as  an  alms  proceeding  from  you,  and  ye  will  acquire  the  re- 
ward thereof  from  God,  whose  name  be  exalted !  And  the  damsels  re- 
plied, We  hear  and  obey  God  and  thee,  O  Hassan.  They  then  threw  close 
\eils  over  their  faces,  equipped  themselves  with  the  implements  of  war, 
a:jd  slung  on  the  swords  ;  and  they  brought  to  Hassan  a  courser  of  the  best 
breed,  furnished  him  with  complete  accouterments,  and  armed  him  with 
beautiful  weapons.  Having  done  this,  they  proceeded  all  together ;  and 
they  found  that  the  Magian  had  slaughtered  a  camel  and  skinned  it,  and 
was  tormenting  the  young  man,  and  saying  to  him,  Enter  this  skin.  So 
Hassan  came  behind  him,  while  the  Magian  knew  not  of  his  presence,  and 
cried  out  at  him,  so  that  he  stupefied  and  confounded  him.  Then,  advanc- 
ing to  him,  he  said  to  him,  Withhold  thy  hand,  O  accursed  !  O  enemy  of 
Goi!,  and  enemy  of  the  Mohammedans!  O  dog!  O  perfidious  wretch  !  O 
worshiper  of  fire !  O  pursuer  of  the  way  of  the  wicked,  who  worshipest 
the  fire  and  the  light,  and  swearest  by  the  shade  and  the  heat!  The  Ma- 
gian therefore  looked  aside,  and,  seeing  Hassan,  he  said  to  him,  O  my  son, 
how  didst  thou  escape,  and  who  brought  thee  down  to  the  ground  1  Has- 
san answered  him,  God  delivered  me  :  He  who  hath  caused  thy  life  to  be 
taken  by  the  hands  of  thine  enemies.  As  thou  torturedst  me  all  the  way, 
O  infidel!  O  impious  wretch!  thou  hast  fallen  into  affliction,  and  turned 
aside  from  the  way ;  and  neither  mother  shall  profit  thee,  nor  brother,  nor 
friend,  uor  firm  covenant ;  for  thou  saidst,  Whoso  shall  be  unfaithful  to  the 
bond  if  bread  and  salt,  may  God  execute  vengeance  upon  him!  and  thou 
hast  bjen  unfaithful  to  the  bond  of  bread  and  salt;  wherefore  God  hath 
throw. i  thee  into  my  power,  and  thy  deliverance  from  me  hath  become  re- 
mote. Upon  this  the  Magian  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  O  my  son,  thou  art 
dearer  in  my  estimation  than  my  soul  and  than  the  light  of  mine  eye  ! 
But  Hassan  advanced  to  him,  and  quickly  smote  him  upon  his  shoulders 
so  that  the  sword  came  forth  glittering  from  his  vitals,  and  God  hurried  his 
soul  to  the  fire;  a  miserable  abode!  Then  Hassan  took  the  leathern  bag 
that  wi.s  with  him,  and  opened  it,  and,  having  taken  forth  from  it  the  drum 
and  the  plectrum,  beat  with  this  the  drum  ;  whereupon  the  camels  came 
to  him  like  lightning  ;  and  he  loosed  the  young  man  from  his  bonds,  mount- 
ed him  upon  a  camel,  on  which  he  put  for  him  the  remaining  food  and  wa- 
ter, and  said  to  him,  Bepair  to  the  place  of  thy  desire.  He  therefore  de- 
parted, after  God  had  thus  delivered  him  from  his  affliction  by  the  hand  of 
Hassan.  Then  the  damsels,  when  they  had  seen  Hassan  smite  the  neck 
of  the  Magian,  rejoiced  in  him  greatly  ;  and  they  came  round  him,  won- 
dering at  his  courage  and  his  exceeding  intrepidity,  and  thanked  him  for  that 
which  he  had  done,  congratulated  him  on  his  safety,  and  said  to  him,  O 
Hassan,  thou  hast  done  a  deed  by  which  thou  hast  healed  the  sick,  and 
pleased  the  glorious  King.  And  he  and  the  damsels  returned  to  the  palace. 
He  remained  with  them,  eating  and  drinking,  and  sporting  and  laughing. 
His  residence  with  them  was  pleasant  to  him,  and  he  forgot  his  mother. 
342 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


-■y;vV;v,.  \ 


.,.•'    vV 


ri^Jn^ 


Hassan  slaying  the  Magian. 


But  while  he  was  with  them,  passing  the  most  delightful  life,  there  came 
toward  them  a  great  dust  from  the  further  part  of  the  desert,  whereby  the 
sky  was  darkened.  So  the  damsels  said  to  him,  Arise,  O  Hassan,  and  en- 
ter thy  private  chamber,  and  conceal  thj^self ;  or,  if  thou  wilt,  enter  the 
garden  and  hide  thyself  among  the  trees  and  the  grape  vines  ;  and  no  harm 
shall  befall  thee.  And  he  arose,  and  went  in  and  concealed  himself  in  his 
private  chamber,  having  closed  the  door  upon  him  within  the  palace.  And 
after  a  while  the  dust  dispersed,  and  there  appeared  beneath  it  numerous 
encumbered  troops,  like  the  roaring  sea,  approaching  from  the  king,  the 
father  of  the  damsels.  When  the  troops  arrived,  the  damsels  lodged  them 
in  the  best  manner,  and  entertained  them  during  three  days;  after  which 
the  damsels  asked  them  respecting  their  state  and  their  tidings;  and  they 
replied,  We  have  come  from  the  king  to  summon  you.  So  the  damsels 
said  to  them,  And  what  doth  the  king  desire  of  us  ?  One  of  them  an- 
swered, One  of  the  kings  celebrateth  a  marriage  festivity,  and  he  desireth 
that  ye  should  be  present  at  that  festivity,  that  ye  may  divert  yourselves. 
And  how  long,  said  the  damsels,  shall  we  be  absent  from  our  place  ?  They 
answered,  The  time  of  going  and  coming,  and- a  residence  of  two  months. 
The  damsels  therefore  arose,  and,  entering  the  palace,  went  in  to  Hassan 
and  acquainted  him  with  the  case,  and  they  said  to  him,  Verily  this  place 
is  thy  place,  and  our  house  is  thy  house  :  so  bo  of  good  heart  and  cheerful 
eye,  and  fear  not  nor  grieve ;  for  no  one  can  gain  access  to  us  in  this  place. 
Then  be  of  tranquil  heart  and  joyful  mind  until  we  come  to  thee  again. 
These  keys  of  our  private  chambers  we  leave  with  thee  ;  but,  O  our  broth- 
er, we  beg  thee  by  the  bond  of  brotherhood  that  thou  open  not  this  door 
[pointing  to  one  of  the  doors],  for  thou  hast  no  need  of  opening  it.  Then 
they  bade  him  farewell,  and  departed  hi  company  with  the  troops. 

So  Hassan  remained  in  the  palaco  alone.  His  bosom  was  contracted, 
and  his  patience  became  exhausted,  his  affliction  was  excessive,  and  he 
was  sad,  mourning  for  their  separation  greatly;  the  palace,  notwithstand- 
ing its  amplitude,  was  strait  unto  him,  and  when  he  found  himself  solitary 
and  sad,  ho  reflected  upon  the  damsels,  and  recited  these  verses : 

313 


STORJ  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

The  whole  plain  hath  become  contracted  in  mine  eye,  and  my  heart  altogether  is 

troubled  by  the  view  of  it. 
Since  the  objects  of  my  love  departed,  my  joy  hath  been  disturbed,  and  the  tears 

have  overflowed  from  mine  eyes, 
And  sleep  hath  quitted  mine  eye  on  account  of  their  separation,  and  my  whole 

mind  hath  been  perturbed. 
Will  fortune  reunite  us,  and  shall  I  again  enjoy  intimacy  with  them,  and  nightly 

conversation  ? 

He  used  to  go  alone  to  hunt  in  the  deserts,  and  bring  back  the  game  and 
slaughter  it,  and  eat  alone.  His  gloominess  and  disquietude,  on  account 
of  his  solitariness,  became  excessive.  So  he  arose  and  went  about  through 
the  palace,  examined  every  part  of  it,  and  opened  the  private  chambers  of 
the  damsels ;  and  he  saw  in  them  riches  such  as  would  ravish  the  minds 
of  beholders.  But  he  delighted  not  in  aught  thereof,  by  i-eason  of  the  ab- 
sence of  the  damsels ;  and  a  fire  burned  in  his  heart  on  account  of  the  door 
which  his  sister  had  charged  him  not  to  open,  and  respecting  which  she 
commanded  him  that  he  should  not  go  near  to  it,  nor  ever  open  it.  He 
said  within  himself,  My  sister  did  not  charge  me  not  to  open  this  door  save 
because  within  it  is  a  thing  with  which  she  desireth  that  no  one  should  be- 
come acquainted.  By  Allah,  I  will  arise  and  open  it,  and  see  what  is  within 
it,  though  within  may  be  death.  Accordingly,  he  took  the  key  and  opened 
it,  and  he  saw  in  it  no  riches ;  but  he  saw  in  it  a  flight  of  stairs  at  the  up- 
per end  of  the  place,  vaulted  with  stones  of  the  onyx  of  Yemen  ;  and  he 
ascended  those  stairs,  and  went  up  until  he  arrived  at  the  roof  of  the  pal- 
ace, saying  within  himself,  This  is  what  she  forbade  me  to  visit.  He  then 
went  about  the  top  of  the  palace,  and  he  looked  down  upon  a  place  beneath 
it  entirely  occupied  by  sown  fields,  and  gardens,  and  trees,  and  flowers,  and 
wild  beasts,  and  birds  which  were  warbling  and  proclaiming  the  perfection 
of  God,  the  One,  the  Omnipotent.  He  gazed  upon  those  places  of  diver- 
sion, and  saw  a  roaring  sea  agitated  with  waves ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  go 
round  about  the  palace,  on  the  right  and  left,  until  he  came  to  a  pavilion 
upon  four  columns,  in  which  he  saw  a  saloon  decorated  with  all  kinds  of 
stones,  such  as  the  jacinth,  and  the  emerald,  and  the  balass  ruby,  and  vari- 
ous other  jewels.  It  was  built  with  one  brick  of  gold,  and  another  brick 
of  silver,  and  another  brick  of  jacinth,  and  another  brick  of  emerald  ;  and  in 
the  midst  of  that  pavilion  wa^  a  pool  full  of  water,  over  which  was  a  trellis 
of  sandal-wood  and  aloes -wood,  reticulated  with  bars  of  red  gold  and  oblong 
emeralds,  and  adorned  with  varieties  of  jewels  and  pearls,  every  bead  of 
which  was  of  the  size  of  a  pigeon's  egg.  Also,  by  the  side  of  the  pool  was 
a  couch  of  aloes-wood  adorned  with  large  pearls  and  with  jewels,  reticu- 
lated with  red  gold,  and  comprising  all  kinds  of  colored  gems  and  precious 
minerals,  set  so  as  to  correspond  one  with  another.  Around  it  the  birds 
warbled  with  various  tongues,  proclaiming  the  perfection  of  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !)  by  the  sweetness  of  their  notes  and  the  diversity  of 
their  tongues  ;  and  the  like  of  this  palace  neither  a  Kosrou  nor  a  Caesar 
ever  possessed.  So  Hassan  was  amazed  when  he  beheld  it,  and  he  sat  in 
it,  looking  at  what  was  around  it. 

And  while  he  sat  in  it,  wondering  at  the  beauty  of  its  construction,  and 
at  the  luster  of  the  large  pearls  and  the  jacinths  that  it  comprised,  and  at  all 
the  artificial  works  that  it  contained,  wondering  also  at  those  sown  fields, 
and  at  the  birds  that  proclaimed  the  perfection  of  God,  the  One,  the  Om- 
nipotent, and  contemplating  the  memorials  of  him  whom  God  (exalted  be 
344 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

his  name  !)  enabled  to  construct  tliis  pavilion  (for  he  was  of  mighty  condi- 
tion), lo,  he  beheld  ten  birds,  which  approached  from  the  direction  of  ihe 
desert,  coming  to  that  pavilion  and  that  pool.  Hassan  therefore  knew  lhat 
they  sought  the  pool  to  drink  of  its  water ;  so  he  concealed  himself  from 
them,  fearing  that  they  would  see  him  and  fly  from  him.  They  then 
alighted  upon  a  great,  beautifnl  tree,  and  they  went  around  it ;  and  he  saw 
among  them  a  great  and  beautiful  bird,  the  handsomest  among  them;  and 
the  rest  encompassed  it  and  attended  it  as  servants  ;  whereat  Hassan  won- 
dered. That  bird  began  to  peck  the  nine  others  with  its  bill,  and  to  behave 
proudly  toward  them,  and  they  fled  from  it,  while  Hassan  stood  diverting 
himself  with  the  sight  of  them  from  a  distance.  Then  they  seated  them- 
selves upon  the  couch,  and  each  of  them  rent  open  its  skin  with  its  talons, 
and  came  forth  from  it;  and  lo,  it  was  a  dress  of  feathers.  There  came 
forth  from  the  dresses  ten  damsels,  virgins,  who  shamed  by  their  beauty 
the  luster  of  the  moon  ;  and  when  they  had  divested  themselves,  they  all 


Damsels  bathius 


345 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

descended  into  the  pool,  and  washed,  and  proceeded  to  play  and  to  jest  to- 
gether;  the  bird  who  surpassed  the  others  throwing  them  down  and 
plunging  them,  and  they  fleeing  from  her,  and  unable  to  put  forth  their 
hands  to  her.  When  Hassan  beheld  her,  he  lost  his  reason,  and  his  mind 
was  captivated,  and  he  knew  that  the  damsels  forbade  him  not  to  open  the 
door  save  on  this  account.  He  became  violently  enamored  of  her  by  reason 
of  what  he  beheld  of  her  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  her  stature  and  just- 
ness of  form,  while  she  was  sporting  and  jesting,  and  they  were  sprinkling 
one  another  with  the  water.  Hassan  stood  looking  at  them,  sighing  that 
ho  was  not  with  them  ;  his  mind  was  perplexed  by  the  beauty  of  the 
young  damsel,  his  heart  was  entangled  in  the  snare  of  her  love,  and  he  had 
fallen  into  the  snare;  the  eye  was  looking,  in  the  heart  a  fire  was  burning; 
and  the  soul  is  prone  to  evil.  He  wept  with  desire  by  reason  of  her  beauty 
and  loveliness,  fires  were  shot  into  his  heart  on  her  account,  a  flame  of 
which  the  sparks  could  not  be  extinguished  increased  in  him,  and  a  desire 
of  which  the,  signs  could  not  be  hidden. 

Then,  after  that,  the  damsels  came  up  from  the  pool,  while  Hassan  stood 
looking  at  them  ;  but  they  saw  him  not;  and  he  was  wondering  at  their 
beauty  and  loveliness,  and  gracefulness  and  elegance.  And  when  they 
came  forth  from  the  water,  each  of  them  put  on  her  dress  and  ornaments. 
The  chief  damsel  put  on  a  green  dress,  and  surpassed  in  her  loveliness  the 
beauties  of  the  world,  and  the  luster  of  her  face  outshone  the  bright  full 
moon ;  she  surpassed  the  branches  in  the  beauty  of  her  bending  motions, 
and  confounded  ihe  minds  with  apprehension  of  incurring  calumny.  The 
damsels  then  sat  conversing  and  laughing  together,  while  Hassan  still  stood 
looking  at  them,  drowned  in  the  sea  of  his  passion,  and  bewildered  in  the 
valley  of  his  solicitude,  and  he  said  within  himself  By  Allah,  my  sister  said 
not  to  me,  Open  not  this  door,  save  on  account  of  these  damsels,  and  in  fear 
of  my  becoming  enamored  of  one  of  them.  He  continued  to  gaze  at  the 
beauties  of  the  chief  damsel,  who  was  the  most  lovely  person  that  God  had 
created  in  her  time,  surpassing  in  her  beauty  all  human  beings.  She  had 
a  mouth  like  the  seal  of  Solomon,  and  hair  blacker  than  the  night  of 
estrangement  is  to  the  afflicted,  distracted  lover,  and  a  forehead  like  the 
new  moon  of  the  Festival  of  Ramadan,  and  eyes  resembling  the  eyes  of 
the  gazelles,  and  an  aquiline  nose  brightly  shining,  and  cheeks  like  anem- 
ones, and  lips  like  coral,  and  teeth  like  pearls  strung  on  necklaces  of  na- 
tive gold,  and  a  neck  like  molten  silver,  above  a  figure  like  a  willow  branch. 
The  damsels  ceased  not  to  laugh  and  sport,  while  he  stood  upon  his  feet 
looking  at  them,  and  forgot  food  and  drink,  until  the  time  of  afternoon 
prayer  drew  near,  when  the  chief  damsel  said  to  her  companions,  O  daugh- 
ters of  kings,  the  time  hath  become  late  to  us,  and  our  country  is  distant, 
and  we  are  tired  of  staying  here.  Arise,  therefore,  that  we  may  depart  to 
our  place.  Accordingly,  each  of  them  arose  and  put  on  her  dress  of  feath- 
ers ;  and  when  they  were  enveloped  in  their  dresses,  they  became  birds 
as  they  were  at  first,  and  all  flew  away  together,  the  chief  damsel  being  in 
the  midst  of  them. 

Hassan  therefore  despaired  of  them,  and  he  desired  to  arise  and  descend 
from  his  place ;  but  he  could  not  rise.  His  tears  ran  down  upon  his  cheek, 
and  his  desire  became  violent,  and  he  recited  these  verses : 

May  Allah  deny  me  the  accomplishment'of  my  vow,  if  after  your  absence  I  know 
pleasant  sleep, 
34fi 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

And  may  my  eyes  not  be  closed  after  your  separation,  nor  rest  delight  me  after 

your  departure ! 
It  would  seem  to  me  as  though  I  saw  you  in  sleep  ;  and  would  that  the  visions  of 

sleep  might  be  real ! 
I  love  sleep,  though  without  requiring  it ;    for  perhaps  a  sight  of  you  might  be 

granted  in  a  dream. 

Then  he  walked  a  little,  but  without  being  led  aright,  until  he  descended  to 
the  lower  part  of  the  palace ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  drag  himself  along  in  a 
sitting  posture  till  he  came  to  the  door  of  the  private  chamber;  whereupon 
he  passed  through,  and  locked  it  after  him  ;  and  he  lay  upon  his  side,  sick, 
neither  eating  nor  drinking.  He  was  drowned  in  the  sea  of  his  solicitudes, 
and  he  wept  and  lamented  for  himself  until  the  morning,  when  he  recited 
these  verses : 

As  birds  they  flew  away  in  the  evening,  and  cried  out.     And  he  who  dieth  of  love 

is  not  culpable. 
I  will  keep  my  passion  secret  while  I  can  ;  but  if  violent  desire  overcome  me,  it 

will  appear. 
The  phantom  of  her  whose  face  is  like  the  morning  came  at  night ;  and  the  night 

of  my  desire  hath  no  dawn. 
I  bemoan  her,  while  they  sleep  who  are  free  from  love  ;  and  the  winds  of  desire 

have  made  sport  with  me. 
I  have  been  liberal  of  my  tears,  and  my  wealth,  and  my  heart,  and  my  reason,  and 

my  soul;  and  liberality  is  gain. 
The  worst  of  all  kinds  of  evil  and  vexation  is  hostility  experienced  from  beautiful 

damsels. 
They  say  it  is  forbidden  for  the  beauties  to  show  favor,  and  that  the  shedding  of 

the  blood  of  lovers  is  lawful, 
And  that  the  love-sick  can  do  naught  but  sacrifice  his  soul,  and  liberally  forfeit  it 

in  love,  which  is  a  game. 
I  cry  out  in  my  longing  and  ardor  for  the  beloved  ;  and  all  that  the  distracted  cau 

do  is  to  moan. 

And  when  the  sun  rose  he  opened  ihe  door  of  the  private  chamber,  and 
ascended  to  the  place  in  which  he  was  before,  and  sat  before  the  saloon 
until  the  approach  of  night ;  but  not  one  of  the  birds  came  while  he  sat  ex- 
pecting them.  So  he  wept  violently  till  he  fainted,  and  fell  prostrate  upon 
the  ground;  and  when  he  recovered  from  his  fit,  he  dragged  himself  along 
in  a  sitting  posture,  and  descended  to  the  lower  part  of  the  palace.  The 
night  had  come,  and  the  whole  world  was  strait  unto  him,  and  he  ceased  not 
to  weep  and  lament  for  himself  all  the  night,  until  the  morning  came  and 
the  sun  rose  over  the  hills  and  the  lowlands.  He  ate  not,  nor  drank,  nor 
slept,  nor  had  he  any  rest :  during  the  day  he  was  perplexed,  and  during 
the  night  sleepless,  confounded,  intoxicated  by  his  solicitude,  expressing  the 
violence  of  his  desire  in  some  verses  of  a  distracted  poet. 

Now  while  he  was  in  this  violent  state  of  distraction  by  reason  of  his  pas- 
sion, lo,  a  dust  arose  from  the  desert;  whereupon  he  arose  and  ran  down 
and  hid  himself.  He  knew  that  the  mistresses  of  the  palace  had  come,  and 
but  a  little  while  had  elapsed  when  the  troops  alighted  and  encompassed 
the  palace.  The  seven  damsels  also  alighted,  and  they  entered  the  palace, 
and  took  off  their  arms  and  all  the  implements  of  war  that  were  upon  them, 
except  the  youngest  damsel,  his  sister,  who  took  not  off  the  implements  of 
war  that  were  upon  her,  but  came  to  the  private  chamber  of  Hassan;  and 
she  saw  him  not.  So  she  searched  for  him,  and  found  him  in  one  of  the 
closets,  infirm  and  lean;  his  body  had  become  languid  and  his  bones  were 
wasted,  his  complexion  had  become  sallow  and  his  eyes  were  sunk  in  his 

347 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


Jieturu  of  the  sev 


face,  in  consequence  of  the  little  food  and  drink  that  he  had  taken,  and  the 
abundance  of  his  tears  by  reason  of  his  attachment  to  the  damsel,  and  his 
passion  for  her.  Therefore,  when  his  sister  the  Fairy  saw  him  in  this 
state,  she  was  confounded,  and  her  reason  quitted  her,  and  she  asked  him 
respecting  his  condition,  and  the  state  in  which  he  was,  and  what  had  be- 
fallen him,  saying  to  him,  Inform  me,  O  my  brother,  that  I  may  devise 
some  stratagem  for  thee  to  remove  thine  affliction,  and  I  will  be  thy  sacri- 
fice.    And  upon  this  he  wept  violently,  and  recited  thus : 

The  lover,  when  his  beloved  is  separated  from  him,  hath  nothing  except  sorrow 

and  affliction  ; 
Within  him  is  disease,  and  without  is  burning  :  the  beginning  is  remembrauce, 

and  the  end  is  solicitude. 

So  when  his  sister  heard  these  his  words,  she  wondered  at  his  eloquence 
and  his  fluency  of  speech,  and  at  his  beauty  of  expression  and  his  replying 
to  her  in  verse ;  and  she  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  when  didst  thou  fall 
into  this  predicament  in  which  thou  art,  and  when  did  this  happen  to  thee  ? 
For  I  see  thee  speak  in  verses,  and  shed  copious  tears.  I  conjure  thee  by 
Allah,  O  my  brother,  and  by  the  sacred  nature  of  the  love  that  existeth 
between  us,  that  thou  inform  me  of  thy  state,  and  acquaint  me  with  thy 
secret,  and  conceal  not  from  me  aught  of  that  which  hath  befallen  thee 
during  our  absence  ;  for  my  bosom  hath  become  contracted,  and  my  life  is 
perturbed  on  thine  account.  And  thereupon  he  sighed,  and  shed  tears  like 
rain,  and  replied,  I  fear,  O  my  sister,  if  I  inform  thee,  that  thou  wilt  not  aid 
me  to  attain  my  desire,  but  wilt  leave  me  to  die  sorrowing,  in  my  anguish. 
And  she  said,  No,  by  Allah,  O  my  brother,  I  will  not  abandon  thee,  though 
my  life  should  be  lost  in  consequence  thereof. 

So  he  told  her  what  had  befallen  him,  and  what  he  beheld  when  he  had 
opened  the  door,  and  informed  her  that  the  cause  of  his  affliction  and  dis- 
tress was  his  passion  for  the  damsel  whom  he  had  seen,  and  his  affection 
for  her,  and  that  for  ten  days  he  had  not  desired  food  nor  drink.  Then  he 
wept  violently,  and  recited  these  two  verses  : 

Restore  my  heart  as  it  was  to  my  breast,  and  let  mine  eyes  sleep  again :  then 

forsake  me. 
Do  you  think  that  the  nights  have  changed  the  vow  of  love?     May  he  cease  to 

live  who  changeth ! 
348 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

And  his  sister  wept  at  his  weeping :  she  was  moved  with  compassion  for 
his  case,  and  pitied  him  for  his  distance  from  home ;  and  she  said  to  him, 
O  my  brother,  be  of  good  heart  and  cheerful  eye ;  for  I  will  expose  my- 
self to  peril  with  thee,  and  give  my  life  to  content  thee,  and  contrive  for 
thee  a  stratagem,  even  if  it  occasion  the  loss  of  my  precious  things  and  my 
soul,  that  I  may  accomplish  thy  desire,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name 
be  exalted!  But  I  charge  thee,  O  my  brother,  to  conceal  the  secret  from 
my  sisters.  Therefore  reveal  not  thy  state  to  any  one  of  them,  lest  my 
life  and  thine  be  lost;  and  if  they  ask  thee  respecting  the  opening  of  the 
door,  answer  them,  I  have  never  opened  it;  but  I  was  troubled  in  heart  on 
account  of  your  absence  from  me,  and  my  sadness  for  your  loss,  and  my  res- 
idence in  the  palace  by  myself.  And  he  replied,  Yes,  this  is  the  right 
course.  He  kissed  her  head,  and  his  heart  was  comforted,  and  his  bosom 
became  dilated.  He  had  been  in  fear  of  his  sister  on  account  of  his  having 
opened  the  door;  so  now  his  soul  was  restored  to  him,  after  he  had  thought 
himself  at  the  point  of  destruction,  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  his  fear. 

He  then  demanded  of  his  sister  something  to  eat ;  whereupon  she  arose 
and  went  forth  from  him  ;  and  afterward  she  went  in  to  her  sisters,  mourn- 
ing and  weeping  for  him.  So  they  asked  her  respecting  her  state,  and  she 
informed  them  that  her  heart  was  troubled  for  her  brother,  and  that  he  was 
sick,  and  for  ten  days  no  food  had  entered  his  stomach.  They  therefore 
asked  her  respecting  the  cause  of  his  sickness  ;  and  she  answered  them,  Its 
cause  was  our  absence  from  him,  and  our  leaving  him  desolate;  for  these 
days  during  which  we  were  absent  from  him  were  to  him  longer  than  a 
thousand  years,  and  he  is  excusable,  seeing  that  he  is  a  stranger  and  alone, 
and  we  left  him  solitary,  without  any  one  to  cheer  him  by  society,  or  any 
one  to  comfort  his  heart.  Besides,  he  is,  at  all  events,  but  a  youth,  and 
probably  he  remembered  his  family  and  his  mother,  who  is  an  old  woman, 
and  he  imagined  that  she  was  weeping  for  him  during  the  hours  of  the 
night  and  the  periods  of  the  day,  and  that  she  ceased  not  to  mourn  for  him ; 
but  we  used  to  console  him  by  our  society.  And  when  her  sisters  heard 
her  words,  they  wept  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  their  sorrow  for  him, 
and  said  to  her,  By  Allah,  he  is  excusable.  Then  they  went  forth  to  the 
troops  and  dismissed  them  ;  after  which  they  went  in  to  Hassan  and  salut- 
ed him;  and  they  saw  that  his  charms  had  become  altered,  and  his  com- 
plexion had  become  sallow,  and  his  body  had  become  lean  ;  wherefore  they 
wept  in  pity  for  him,  and  they  sat  with  him,  aud  cheered  him,  and  comfort- 
ed his  heart  by  conversation,  relating  to  him  all  that  they  had  seen  of  won- 
ders and  strange  things,  and  what  happened  to  the  bridegroom,  with  the 
bride.  The  damsels  remained  with  him  during  the  period  of  a  whole 
month,  cheering  him  by  their  society,  and  caressing  him ;  but  every  day 
he  became  more  ill ;  and  whenever  they  beheld  him  in  this  state,  they  wept 
for  him  violently,  the  youngest  damsel  being  the  one  of  them  who  wept  the 
most. 

Then,  after  the  month,  the  damsels  were  desirous  of  riding  forth  to 
hunt,  and  they  resolved  to  do  so,  and  asked  their  youngest  sister  to  mount 
with  them ;  but  she  said  to  them,  By  Allah,  O  my  sisters,  I  can  not  go 
forth  with  you  while  my  brother  is  in  this  state,  until  he  is  restored  to  health, 
and  the  affliction  that  he  suflereth  quitteth  bun.  I  will  rather  sit  with  him 
to  soothe  him.  And  when  they  heard  her  words,  they  thanked  her  for  her 
kindness,  and  said  to  her,  Whatever  thou  dost  with  this  stranger,  thou 

34S> 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSOEA. 


wilt  be  recompensed  for  it.  Then  they 
left  her  with  him  in  the  palace,  and 
mounted,  taking  with  them  provisions  for 
twenty  days.  And  when  they  were  far 
from  the  palace,  their  sister  knew  that 
they  had  traversed  a  wide  space  ;  so  she 
came  to  her  brother,  and  said  to  him,  O 
my  brother,  arise ;  show  me  this  place  in 
which  thou  sawest  the  damsels.  And  he 
replied,  In  the  name  of  Allah ;  on  the 
head  :  rejoicing  at  her  words,  and  feeling 
sure  of  the  attainment  of  his  desire.  He 
then  desired  to  arise  and  go  with  her,  and 
to  show  her  the  place;  but  he  was  una- 
ble to  walk ;  wherefore  she  carried  him 
in  her  bosom,  and  conveyed  him  to  the 
[top  of  the]  palace ;  and  when  he  was 
upon  it,  he  showed  her  the  place  in  which 
he  had  seen  the  damsels,  and  he  showed 
her  the  saloon  and  the  pool.  And  his 
sister  said  to  him,  Describe  to  me,  O  my 
brother,  their  state,  and  how  they  came. 
He  therefore  described  to  her  what  he 
had  observed  of  them,  and  especially  the 
damsel  of  whom  he  had  become  enam- 
ored ;  and  when  she  heard  the  descrip- 
tion of  her,  she  knew  her,  and  her  coun- 
tenance became  sallow,  and  her  state  be- 
came changed.  So  he  said  to  her,  O  my 
sister,  thy  countenance  hath  become  sal- 
low, and  thy  state  is  changed ;  and  she 
replied  : 

O  my  brother,  know  that  this  damsel 
is  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  kings  of  the 
Genii,  of  great  dignity.  Her  father  hath 
obtained  dominion  over  men  and  Genii, 
and  enchanters  and  diviners,  and  tribes  and  guards,  and  regions  and  cities 
in  great  numbers,  and  hath  vast  riches.  Our  father  is  one  of  his  viceroys, 
and  no  one  is  able  to  prevail  against  him,  on  account  of  the  abundance  of  his 
troops,  and  the  extent  of  his  dominions,  and  the  greatness  of  his  wealth. 
He  hath  assigned  to  his  children,  the  damsels  whom  thou  sawest,  a  tract 
of  a  whole  year's  journey  in  length  and  breadth,  and  to  that  tract  is  added 
a  great  river  encompassing  it,  and  no  one  can  gain  access  to  that  place,  nei- 
ther any  of  mankind  nor  any  of  the  Genii.  He  hath  an  army  of  damsels 
who  smite  with  swords  and  thrust  with  spears,  five-and-twenty  thousand 
in  number,  every  one  of  whom,  when  she  mounteth  her  courser  and  equip- 
peth  herself  with  her  implements  of  war,  will  withstand  a  thousand  brave 
horsemen  ;  and  he  hath  seven  daughters  who  in  bravery  and  horsemanship 
equal  their  sisters,  and  excel  them.  He  hath  set  over  this  tract,  of  which 
I  have  informed  thee,  his  eldest  daughter,  the  chief  of  her  sisters ;  and 
she  is  distinguished  by  bravery,  and  horsemanship,  and  guile,  and  artifice, 
350 


Hassan 


irrying  him  to  the 
top  of  the  palace. 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

and  enchantment,  by  which  she  can  overcome  all  the  people  of  her  domin- 
ions. But  as  to  the  damsels  who  were  with  her,  they  are  the  chief  ladies 
of  her  empire,  and  her  guards,  and  her  favorites  among  the  people  of  her 
dominions ;  and  these  feathered  skins  wherewith  they  fly  are  the  work  of 
the  enchanters  among  the  Genii.  Now  if  thou  desire  to  possess  this  dam- 
sel, and  to  marry  her,  sit  here  and  wait  for  her ;  for  they  come  on  the  first 
day  of  every  month  to  this  place ;  and  when  thou  seest  that  they  have 
come,  conceal  thyself,  and  beware  of  appearing;  for  the  lives  of  all  of  us 
would  be  lost.  Know,  then,  what  I  tell  thee,  and  keep  it  in  thy  memory. 
Sit  in  a  place  that  shall  be  near  unto  them,  so  that  thou  shaft  see  them  and 
they  shall  not  see  thee ;  and  when  they  take  oft'  their  dresses,  cast  thine 
eye  upon  the  dress  of  feathers  belonging  to  the  chief  damsel,  who  is  the 
object  of  thy  desire,  and  take  it;  but  take  not  aught  beside  it;  for  it  is  the 
thing  that  conveyeth  her  to  her  country.  So  if  thou  possess  it,  thou  pos- 
sessest  her;  and  beware  of  her  beguiling  thee,  and  saying,  O  thou  who 
hast  stolen  my  dress,  restore  it  to  me,  and  here  am  I  with  thee,  and  before 
thee,  and  in  thy  possession  ;  for,  if  thou  give  it  her,  she  will  slay  thee,  and 
will  demolish  the  pavilions  over  us,  and  slay  our  father.  Know,  therefore, 
thy  case,  and  how  thou  shalt  act.  When  her  sisters  see  that  her  dress 
hath  been  stolen,  they  will  fly  away,  and  leave  her  sitting  alone  ;  so  there- 
upon go  thou  to  her,  and  seize  her  by  her  hair  and  drag  her  along;  and 
when  thou  shalt  have  dragged  her  to  thee,  thou  wilt  have  obtained  her,  and 
she  will  be  in  thy  possession.  Then,  after  this,  take  care  of  the  dress  of 
feathers  ■  for,  as  long  as  it  remaineth  with  thee,  she  is  in  thy  power,  and  in 
captivity  to  thee  ;  since  she  can  not  fly  away  to  her  country  save  with  it. 
And  when  thou  hast  taken  her,  carry  her  and  descend  with  her  to  thy  pri- 
vate chamber,  and  reveal  not  to  her  that  thou  hast  taken  the  dress. 

So  when  Hassan  heard  the  words  of  his  sister,  his  heart  was  tranquil- 
ized,  and  his  terror  was  quieted,  and  the  pain  that  he  suffered  ceased.  He 
then  rose  erect  upon  his  feet  and  kissed  the  head  of  his  sister ;  after  wlrch 
he  descended  from  the  top  of  the  palace,  he  and  his  sister,  and  they  slept 
that  night.  He  studied  to  restore  himself  until  the  morning  came  ;  and 
when  the  sun  rose,  he  arose  and  opened  the  door,  and  ascended  to  the 
top.  He  sat  there,  and  ceased  not  to  sit  until  nightfall,  when  his  sister  came 
up  to  him  with  some  food  and  drink,  and  changed  his  clothes,  and  he  slept. 
She  continued  to  do  thus  with  him  every  day  until  the  next  month  com- 
menced. So  when  he  saw  the  new  moon,  he  watched  for  them  ;  and 
while  he  was  doing  thus,  lo,  they  approached  him,  like  lightning.  On  his 
seeing  them,  therefore,  he  concealed  himself  in  a  place  so  that  he  could  see 
them  and  they  could  not  see  him.  The  birds  alighted,  each  bird  of  them 
seating  herself  in  a  place,  and  they  rent  open  their  dresses  and  the  dam- 
sel of  whom  he  was  enamored  did  the  same  as  the  rest.  This  was  done 
in  a  place  near  unto  Hassan.  She  then  descended  into  the  pool  with  her 
sisters;  and  thereupon  Hassan  arose  and  walked  forward  a  little,  still  con 
coaling  himself;  and  God  veiled  him  :  so  he  took  the  dress,  and  not  one  of 
tin-in  saw  him  ;  for  they  were  play  rag  together.  And  when  they  had  end 
ed,  they  came  forth,  and  each  of  them  put  on  her  dress  of  feathers,  except 
his  beloved,  who  came  to  put  on  her  dress,  and  found  it  not.  Upon  this  she 
cried  out,  and  slapped  her  face,  and  tore  her  clothes.  Her  sisters  therefore 
came  to  her,  and  asked  her  respecting  her  state,  and  she  informed  them 
that  her  dress  of  feathers  had  been  lost;  whereupon  they  wept  and  cried 

351 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

out,  and  slapped  their  faces.  And  when  the  night  overtook  them,  they 
could  not  remain  with  her ;  so  they  left  her  upon  the  top  of  the  palace  alone. 
Then,  when  Hassan  saw  that  they  had  flown  away  and  were  absent  from 
her,  he  listened  to  her,  and  he  heard  her  saj%  O  thou  who  hast  taken  my 
dress,  and  stripped  me,  I  beg  thee  to  restore  it  to  me,  and  may  God  never 
make  thee  to  taste  my  grief!  And  on  his  hearing  these  her  words,  his  rea- 
son was  captivated  by  his  passion  for  her,  his  love  for  her  increased,  and  he 
could  not  withhold  himself  from  her.  He  therefore  arose  from  his  place, 
and  ran  forward  until  he  rushed  upon  her  and  laid  hold  of  her.     Then  he 


Hassan  about  to  seize  bis  beloved 


dragged  her  to  him,  and  descended  with  her  to  the  lower  part  of  the  pal- 
ace, and,  having  taken  her  into  his  private  chamber,  threw  over  her  his 
cloak,  while  she  wept,  and  bit  her  hands.  He  locked  the  door  upon  her, 
and  went  to  his  sister,  and  told  her  that  he  had  got  her  and  obtained  pos- 
session of  her,  and  had  brought  her  down  to  his  private  chamber,  and  he 
said  to  her,  She  is  now  sitting  weeping,  and  biting  her  hands. 

His  sister,  therefore,  when  she  heard  his  words,  arose  and  repaired  to  the 
352 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

private  chamber,  and,  going  in  to  her,  she  saw  her  weeping  and  mourning. 
She  kissed  the  ground  before  her,  and  then  saluted  her ;  and  the  damsel 
said  to  her,  O  daughter  of  the  king,  do  people  such  as  ye  are  do  these  vile 
deeds  with  the  daughters  of  kings  ?  Thou  knowest  that  my  father  is  a  great 
king,  and  that  all  the  kings  of  the  Genii  are  terrified  at  him,  and  fear  his 
awful  power,  and  that  he  hath,  of  enchanters,  and  sages,  and  diviners,  and 
devils,  and  marids,  those  against  whom  none  can  prevail,  and  that  under  his 
authority  are  people  whose  number  none  knoweth  but  God.  How,  then, 
can  it  be  right  for  you,  O  daughters  of  kings,  to  lodge  men  of  human  kind 
with  you,  and  to  accpiaint  them  with  our  circumstances  and  yours  ?  If  ye 
did  not  so,  how  could  this  man  gain  access  to  us  ?  So  the  sister  of  Hassan 
answered  her,  O  daughter  of  the  king,  verily  this  human  being  is  perfect  in 
kindness  of  disposition,  and  his  desire  is  not  to  do  any  shameful  action  ;  he 
only  loveth  thee  ;  and  women  were  not  created  save  for  men.  Were  it  not 
that  he  loveth  thee,  he  had  not  fallen  sick  on  thine  account,  and  his  soul  had 
not  almost  departed  by  reason  of  his  love  of  thee.  And  she  related  to  her 
all  that  Hassan  had  told  her  with  respect  to  his  passion  for  her,  and  how 
the  damsels  had  acted  in  their  flight  and  their  washing  themselves,  and  told 
her  that  none  of  them  all  had  pleased  him  excepting  her ;  for  all  of  them 
were  her  slave  girls ;  and  that  she  was  plunging  them  into  the  pool,  and  not 
one  of  them  could  stretch  forth  her  hand  to  her.  And  when  she  heard  her 
words,  she  despaired  of  escape.  Then  the  sister  of  Hassan  arose  and 
went  forth  from  her,  and  brought  to  her  a  sumptuous  dress,  with  which 
she  clad  her.  She  also  brought  to  her  some  food  and  drink,  and  ate  with 
her,  and  comforted  her  heart  and  appeased  her  terror.  She  ceased  not  to 
caress  her  with  gentleness  and  kindness,  and  said  to  her,  Have  compassion 
upon  him  who  saw  thee  once  and  became  a  victim  of  thy  love.  Thus  she 
continued  to  caress  her  and  gratify  her,  and  to  address  her  with  pleasing 
words  and  expressions ;  but  she  wept  until  daybreak  came,  when  her  heart 
was  comforted  and  she  abstained  from  weeping,  knowing  that  she  had  fallen 
into  the  snare,  and  that  her  escape  was  impossible.  So  she  said  to  the  sis- 
ter of  Hassan,  O  daughter  of  the  king,  thus  hath  God  appointed  [and  writ- 
ten] upon  my  forehead,  with  respect  to  my  estrangement  and  my  disjunc- 
tion from  my  country,  and  my  family,  and  my  sisters ;  therefore,  I  must 
endure  with  becoming  patience  what  my  Lord  hath  decreed.  Then  the 
sister  of  Hassan  appropriated  to  her  alone  a  private  chamber  in  the  palace, 
than  which  chamber  there  was  none  handsomer  there  ;  and  she  ceased  not 
to  sit  with  her  and  console  her,  and  to  comfort  her  heart,  until  she  was 
content,  and  her  bosom  became  dilated,  and  she  laughed,  and  her  trouble 
and  contraction  of  the  bosom  on  account  of  her  separation  from  her  family 
and  home,  and  her  separation  from  her  sisters,  and  her  parents,  and  her  do- 
minions, ceased. 

The  sister  of  Hassan  then  went  forth  to  him,  and  said  to  him,  Arise,  go 
in  to  her  in  her  private  chamber,  and  kiss  her  hands  and  her  feet.  He  there- 
fore entered  and  did  so  ;  and  he  kissed  her  between  her  eyes,  and  said  to  her, 
O  mistress  of  beauties,  and  life  of  souls,  and  delight  of  beholders,  be  tranquil 
in  heart.  1  have  not  taken  thee  but  that  I  may  be  thy  slave  till  the  day  of 
resurrection,  and  this  my  sister  will  be  thy  slave  girl.  I,  O  my  mistress, 
desire  not  aught  save  to  marry  thee,  agreeably  with  the  ordinance  of  God 
and  his  Apostle,  and  to  journey  to  my  country,  and  1  will  reside  with  thee 
ID  the  city  of  Bagdad.     I  will  purchase  for  thee  female  slaves  and  male 

353 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF   BALSORA. 

slaves  ;  and  I  have  a  mother,  of  the  best  of  women,  who  will  be  thy  serv- 
ant. There  is  not  a  country  there  better  than  our  country;  every  thing 
that  is  in  it  is  better  than  what  is  in  any  other  of  all  the  countries,  and  its 
inhabitants  and  its  people  are  good  people,  with  comely  faces. 

But  while  he  was  addressing  her,  and  cheering  her  by  conversation,  and 
she  addressed  him  not  with  a  single  letter,  some  one  knocked  at  the  door 
of  the  palace.  So  Hassan  went  forth  to  see  who  was  at  the  door ;  and  lo, 
there  were  the  damsels,  who  had  returned  from  the  chase.  He  rejoiced 
at  their  coming,  and  met  and  saluted  them ;  whereupon  they  offered  up 
prayers  in  his  favor  for  safety  and  health,  and  he  prayed  for  them  also. 
They  then  alighted  from  their  horses  and  entered  the  palace,  and  each  of 
them  went  into  her  private  chamber,  where  she  pulled  off  the  worn  clothes 
that  were  upon  her  and  put  on  comely  apparel,  after  which  they  came 
forth  and  demanded  the  game;  and  they  brought  an  abundance  of  gazelles, 
and  wild  oxen,  and  hares,  and  lions,  and  hyenas,  and  other  beasts,  some  of 
which  they  brought  forward  for  slaughter,  and  they  left  the  rest  with  them 
in  the  palace.  Hassan  stood  among  them  with  girded  waist,  slaughtering 
for  them,  while  they  sported  and  amused  themselves,  rejoicing  exceedingly 
at  his  doing  thus.  And  when  they  had  finished  the  slaughter,  they  sat  pre- 
paring something  whereof  to  make  their  dinner.  Then  Hassan  advanced 
to  the  eldest  damsel  and  kissed  her  head  ;  and  he  proceeded  to  kiss  all  their 
heads,  one  after  another.  So  they  said  to  him,  Thou  hast  greatly  hum- 
bled thyself  to  us,  O  our  brother,  and  we  wonder  at  the  excess  of  thine  af- 
fection for  us,  thou  being  a  man  of  the  sons  of  Adam,  and  we  being  of  the 
Genii.  And  thereupon  his  eyes  shed  tears,  and  he  wept  violently  ;  where- 
fore they  said,  What  is  the  news,  and  what  causeth  thee  to  weep?  Thou 
hast  troubled  our  life  by  thy  weeping  this  day.  It  seemeth  that  thou  hast 
conceived  a  longing  to  see  thy  mother  and  thy  country;  and  if  the  case  be 
so,  we  will  equip  thee,  and  will  journey  with  thee  to  thy  home  and  thy 
friends.  He  replied,  By  Allah,  my  desire  is  not  to  be  separated  from  you. 
They  therefore  said  to  him,  Then  who  of  us  hath  disturbed  thee,  that  thou 
art  thus  troubled  ?  And  he  was  ashamed  to  say,  Naught  hath  disturbed 
me  but  love  of  the  damsel ;  fearing  that  they  would  deny  him  their  ap- 
proval: wherefore  he  was  silent,  and  did  not  acquaint  them  with  aught  of 
his  case.  So  his  sister  arose  and  said  to  them,  He  hath  caught  a  bird  from 
the  air,  and  he  desireth  of  you  that  ye  aid  him  to  make  her  his  wife.  And 
they  all  looked  at  him,  and  said  to  him,  We  are  all  before  thee,  and  what- 
soever thou  demandest,  we  will  do  it.  But  tell  us  thy  tale,  and  conceal  not 
from  us  aught  of  thy  state.  He  therefore  said  to  his  sister,  Tell  thou  my 
tale  to  them  ;  for  I  am  abashed  at  them,  and  I  can  not  face  them  with  these 
words. 

Accordingly,  his  sister  said  to  them,  O  my  sisters,  when  we  departed  on 
our  journey  and  left  this  poor  young  man  alone,  the  palace  became  strait 
unto  him,  and  he  feared  that  some  one  might  come  in  to  him  ;  and  ye  know 
that  the  intellects  of  the  sons  of  Adam  are  weak.  So  he  opened  the  door 
that  leadeth  to  the  roof  of  the  palace,  when  his  bosom-was  contracted  and 
he  had  become  solitary  and  lone,  and  he  ascended  upon  it,  and  sat  there, 
looking  down  upon  the  valley,  and  looking  down  also  toward  the  door,  fear- 
ing lest  some  one  should  come  to  the  palace.  And  while  he  was  sitting  one 
day,  lo,  ten  birds  approached  him,  coming  to  the  palace ;  and  they  ceased 
not  to  pursue  their  course  until  they  seated  themselves  upon  the  margin  of 
354 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

the  pool  that  is  above  the  mandharah  ;  whereupon  he  looked  at  the  bird 
that  was  the  most  beautiful  of  them,  and  she  was  pecking  the  others,  among 
which  there  was  not  one  that  could  stretch  forth  her  claw  to  her.  Then 
they  put  their  talons  to  their  necks,  rent  open  their  dresses  of  feathers,  and 
came  forth  from  them,  and  each  of  them  became  a  damsel  like  the  moon 
in  the  night  of  its  fullness.  After  that  they  disrobed  themselves,  while 
Hassan  stood  looking  at  them,  and  they  descended  into  the  water,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  sport;  the  chief  damsel  plunging  the  others,  among  whom  there 
was  not  one  who  could  put  forth  her  hand  to  her;  and  she  was  the  most 
beautiful  of  them  in  face,  and  the  most  just  of  them  in  stature,  and  the 
most  clean  of  them  in  apparel.  They  ceased  not  to  do  thus  until  the  time 
of  afternoon  prayers  drew  near,  when  they  came  forth  from  the  pool,  put 
on  their  garments,  and  entered  the  apparel  of  feathers,  in  which  they  wrap- 
ped themselves,  and  they  flew  away.  Thereupon  his  mind  was  troubled, 
and  his  heart  was  inflamed  with  lire  on  account  of  the  chief  bird,  and  he 
repented  that  he  had  not  stolen  her  apparel  of  feathers.  He  became  sick, 
and  remained  upon  the  palace  expecting  her  return,  and  he  abstained  from 
food,  and  drink,  and  sleep.  He  continued  in  that  state  until  the  new  moon 
appeared  ;  and  while  he  was  sitting,  lo,  they  approached  according  to  their 
custom,  and  pulled  off  their  garments,  and  descended  into  the  pool.  So  he 
stole  the  dress  of  the  chief  damsel,  and,  knowing  that  she  could  not  fly  save 
with  it,  he  took  it  and  hid  it,  fearing  that  they  would  discover  it  and  slay 
him.  Then  he  waited  until  the  others  had  flown  away ;  when  he  arose 
and  seized  her,  and  brought  her  down  from  the  top  of  the  palace.  Upon 
this  her  sisters  said  to  her,  And  where  is  she  ?  She  answered  them,  .She 
is  in  his  possession  in  such  a  closet.  And  they  said,  Describe  her  to  us,  O 
our  sister.  She  therefore  said,  She  is  more  beautiful  than  the  moon  in  the 
night  of  its  fullness,  and  her  face  is  more  splendid  than  the  sun,  and  the 
moisture  of  her  mouth  is  sweeter  than  wine,  and  her  figure  is  more  elegant 
than  the  slender  branch.  She  hath  black  eyes,  and  brilliant  face,  and  bright 
forehead,  and  a  bosom  like  pearl,  in  which  are  seen  the  forms  of  two 
pomegranates;  and  she  hath  cheeks  like  two  apples.  She  captivateth  the 
hearts  by  her  eyes  bordered  with  kohl,  and  by  the  slenderness  of  her  del- 
icate waist,  and  by  her  heavy  hips,  .and  speech  that  cureth  the  sick.  She 
is  comely  in  shape,  beautiful  in  her  smile,  like  the  full  moon. 

And  when  the  damsels  heard  these  descriptions,  they  looked  toward 
Hassan,  and  said  to  him,  Show  her  to  us.  So  he  arose  with  them,  dis- 
tracted with  love,  and  proceeded  until  he  had  conducted  them  to  the  closet 
in  which  was  the  king's  daughter;  whereupon  he  opened  it  and  entered, 
and  they  entered  behind  him;  and  when  they  saw  her,  and  beheld  her 
loveliness,  they  kissed  the  ground  before  her,  wondering  at  the  beauty  of- 
her  form  and  at  her  elegance.  They  then  saluted  her,  and  said  to  her, 
By  Allah,  (J  daughter  of  the  supreme  king,  this  is  an  egregious  thing;  but 
hadst  thou  heard  the  description  of  this  human  being  among  the  women, 
thou  wouldst  have  wondered  at  him  all  thy  life.  He  is  enamored  of  thee 
to  the  utmost  degree;  yet,  O  daughter  of  the  king,  he  desireth  not  aught 
that  is  dishonest.  He  desireth  thee  not  save  as  his  lawful  wife  ;  and  if  we 
knew  that  damsels  were  content  without  husbands,  we  would  have  pre- 
vented him  from  attaining  the  object  of  his  desire,  though  he  sent  not  to 
thee  a  messenger,  but  came  to  thee  himself;  and  he  hath  informed  us  that 
he  hath  burned  the  dress  of  feathers ;  otherwise  we  would  have  taken  it 

355 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

from  him.  Then  one  of  the  damsels  agreed  with  her,  and  became  her 
deputy  for  the  performance  of  the  ceremony  of  the  marriage  contract. 
She  performed  the  ceremony  of  the  contract  of  her  marriage  to  Hassan, 
who  took  her  hand,  putting  his  hand  in  hers,  and  she  married  her  to  him 


The  Marriage. 


with  her  permission  ;  after  which  they  celebrated  her  marriage  festivity  in 
the  manner  befitting  the  daughters  of  kings,  and  introduced  him  to  her; 
and  he  congratulated  himself  thereupon,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

Thy  shape  is  enticing,  and  thine  eye  like  the  gazelle's,  and  thy  face  drippeth  with 

the  water  of  beauty. 
Thou  appearest  in  mine  eye  most  gloriously  pictured,  half  of  thee  of  ruby,  and  a 

third  of  pearl, 
And  a  fifth  of  musk,  and  a  sixth  of  ambergris :  thou  resemblest  fine  pearl ;  nay, 

thou  art  more  splendid. 
Eve  hath  not  borne  like  thee  any  one,  nor  in  the  gardens  of  Eternity  is  another 

like  thee. 
Then  if  thou  wish  my  torment,  it  will  proceed  from  love's  laws  ;  and  if  thou  wilt 

pardon,  thou  hast  the  choice  to  do  so. 
O  ornament  of  the  world,  and  utmost  object  of  desire,  who  can  keep  from  enjoying 

the  beauty  of  thy  face  '.' 

The  damsels  were  standing  at  the  door,  and  when  they  heard  the  verses, 
they  said  to  her,  O  daughter  of  the  king,  hast  thou  heard  the  words  of 
this  human  being?  How  canst  thou  blame  us,  when  he  hath  recited  these 
verses  on  the  subject  of  his  love  for  thee?  And  on  her  hearing  that,  she 
was  happy,  and  cheerful,  and  glad.  Then  Hassan  remained  with  her  for 
a  period  of  forty  days  in  pleasure  and  happiness,  and  delight  and  joy,  the 
damsels  renewing  for  him  every  day  festivity  and  beneficence,  and  presents 
and  rarities,  and  he  passing  his  time  among  them  in  happiness  and  cheer- 
356 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

fulness ;  and  the  residence  of  the  king's  daughter  among  them  became 
pleasant  to  her,  so  that  she  forgot  her  family. 

But  after  the  forty  days,  Hassan  was  sleeping,  and  he  saw  his  mother 
mourning  for  him  :  her  bones  had  wasted,  and  her  body  had  become 
emaciated,  and  her  complexion  had  become  sallow,  aud  her  state  was 
altered,  while  he  was  in  good  condition.  And  when  she  beheld  him  in  this 
state  [as  he  thought],  she  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  O  Hassan,  how  is  it  that 
thou  livest  in  the  world,  blessed  with  a  pleasant  life,  and  forgettest  me  ? 
Look  at  the  state  in  which  I  have  been  since  thy  departure.  I  will  not 
forget  thee,  nor  will  my  tongue  cease  to  mention  thee  until  I  die ;  and  I 
have  made  for  thee  a  tomb  in  my  house,  that  I  may  never  forget  thee. 
Shall  I  live,  O  my  son,  and  see  thee  with  me,  and  shall  we  again  be  united 
as  we  were  ?  So  Hassan  awoke  from  his  sleep  weeping  and  lamenting ; 
his  tears  ran  down  upon  his  cheeks  like  rain,  and  he  became  sorrowful  and 
afflicted  ;  his  tears  ceased  not,  nor  did  sleep  visit  him,  nor  had  he  any  rest, 
nor  did  any  patience  remain  to  him.  And  when  he  arose  the  damsels 
came  in  to  him,  and  wished  him  good-morning,  and  were  cheerful  with 
him,  as  they  were  wont ;  but  he  looked  not  toward  them.  They  therefore 
asked  his  wife  respecting  his  state  ;  and  she  answered  them,  I  know  not. 
So  they  said  to  her,  Ask  thou  him  respecting  his  state.  Accordingly,  she 
advanced  to  him,  and  said  to  him,  What  is  the  matter,  O  my  master  ? 
And  thereupon  he  sighed  and  was  oppressed,  and  acquainted  her  with  that 
which  he  had  seen  in  his  sleep.     Then  he  recited  these  two  verses  : 

We  have  become  distracted  in  mind,  perplexed,  seeking  to  draw  near,  without 

means  of  douiLc  it. 
The  calamities  of  love  increase  upon  us,  and  the  endurance  of  love  is  burdensome 

to  us. 

His  wife,  therefore,  acquainted  them  with  that  which  he  had  said  to  her ; 
and  when  the  damsels  heard  the  verses,  they  were  moved  with  pity  for 
his  state,  and  said  to  him,  Favor  us  [by  doing  as  thou  desirest] ;  in  the 
name  of  Allah.  We  can  not  prevent  thee  from  visiting  her  :  we  will 
rather  aid  thee  to  do  so  by  every  means  in  our  power.  But  it  behooveth 
thee  to  visit  us,  and  not  sever  thyself  from  us.  though  in  every  year  thou 
come  but  once.     And  he  replied,  I  hear  and  obey. 

Then  the  damsels  arose  immediately,  prepared  for  him  the  provisions, 
and  equipped  for  him  the  bride  with  ornaments,  and  apparel,  and  every 
thing  costly,  such  as  language  would  fail  to  describe  ;  and  they  also  pre- 
pared for  him  rarities  which  pens  can  not  enumerate.  After  that  they 
beat  the  drum,  and  thereupon  the  she-camels  came  to  them  from  every 
quarter,  and  they  chose  of  theu/such  as  should  carry  all  that  they  had 
prepared.  They  mounted  the  damsel  and  Hassan,  and  put  upon  the 
camels,  and  brought  to  them,  five-and-twenty  chests  full  of  gold,  and  fifty 
of  silver.  Then  they  proceeded  with  them  for  three  days,  during  which 
they  traversed  a  space  of  three  months'  journey  ;  and  having  done  so,  they 
bade  him  farewell,  and  desired  to  return  from  them.  Upon  this  Hassan's 
sister,  the  youngest  damsel,  embraced  him,  and  wept  until  she  fainted; 
and  when  she  recovered,  she  recited  these  two  verses  : 

Would  that  the  day  of  separation  had  ne'er  been !     No  sleep  remaineth  in  my 
eyes. 

The  union  of  us   and  thee  is  broken,  and  our  strength  and  our  body  are  en- 
feebled. 

357 


~st     j 

^>~ 

\X:<C: 

^k 

"V  -""Hi 

v  feM 

Then,  having  finished  her  verses,  she  bade 
him  farewell,  and  strictly  charged  him  that, 
when  he  had  arrived  at  his  city  and  met  his 
mother,  and  his  heart  was  tranquilized,  he 
should  not  fail  to  visit  her  once  in  every  six 
months ;  and  she  said  to  him,  When  an 
affair  rendereth  thee  anxious,  or  thou  fear- 
est  any  thing  disagreeable,  beat  the  drum 
of  the  Magi  an  :  thereupon  the  she-camels 

will  come  to  thee,  and  do  thou  mount,  and  return  to  us,  and  remain  not 

away  from  us.     And  he  swore  to  her  that  he  would  do  so  ;  after  which 

he  conjured  them  to  return.     So  they  returned,  after  they  had  bidden  him 

farewell,  and  mourned  for  his  separation  ;  and  she  who  mourned   most 

was  his  sister,  the  youngest  damsel ;  for  she  found  no  rest,  nor  did  patience 

obey  her;  she  wept  night  and  day. 

Hassan  proceeded  all  the  night  and  day,  traversing  with  his  wife  the 

deserts  and  wastes,  and  the  valleys  and  rugged  tracts,  during  the  mid-day 

heat  and  the  early  dawn,  and  God  decreed  them  safety.     So  they  were 

safe,  and  arrived  at  the  city  of  Balsora;  and  they  ceased  not  to  pursue 

their    way    until    they    made    their 

camels  kneel   down    at  the  door  of 

his  house.     He  then  dismissed  the 

camels,  and  advanced  to  the  door  to 

open   it ;    and  he   heard  his    mother 

weeping    with    a     soft    voice,    that 

proceeded   from    a    bosom 

which  had  experienced  the 

torture  of  fire,  while  she 

-ecited  these  verses : 

How  can  she  taste  sleep 
who  hath  lost  somno- 
lency, and  is  wakeful  at 
night  while  others  re- 
pose 1 

She  possessed  riches,  and 
family,   and    glory ;    but 
hath  become  a  stranger 
and  solitary. 
358 


Camels  kneeling  at  the  door  of  Hassan's  house 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


Crossing  the  desert. 


Fire  and  groaning  are  in  her  bosom,  and  violent  longing  that  can  not  be  exceeded. 
Passion  hath  gained  dominion  over  her.     She  moaneth  for  her  sufferings,  but  is 

firm. 
Her  state  tinder  the  influence  of  love  telleth  that  she  is  mourning  and  afflicted,  and 

her  tears  are  witnesses. 

And  Hnssan  wept  when  he  heard  his  mother  weeping  and  lamenting ;  and 
he  knocked  at  the  door  with  alarming  violence.  80  his  mother  said,  Who 
is  at  the  door  ?  And  he  replied,  Open  ;  wherefore  she  opened  the  door 
and  looked  at  him  ;  and  when  she  knew  him,  she  fell  down  in  a  fit:  and  he 
ceased  not  to  caress  her  until  she  recovered,  when  he  embraced  her,  and 
she  embraced  him  and  kissed  him.  He  then  conveyed  his  goods  and 
property  into  the  honso,  while  the  damsel  looked  at  him  and  at  his  mother; 
and  the  mother  of  Hassan,  when  her  heart  was  tranquilized,  and  God  had 
reunited  her  to  her  son,  recited  these  verses  : 

Fortune  hath  compassionated  my  case,  and  felt  pity  for  the  length  of  my  torment, 
And  granted  me  what  I  desired,  and  removed  that"  which  I  dreaded. 
I  will  therefore  forgive  its  offenses  committed  in  former  times  ; 
Even  the  injustice  it  hath  shown  in  the  taming  of  my  hair  gray. 

359 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

Hassan  and  his  mother  then  sat  conversing  together,  and  she  said  to  him. 
How  was  thy  state,  O  my  son,  with  the  Persian?  He  answered  her,  O 
my  mother,  he  was  not  [only]  a  Persian,  but  he  was  a  Magian,  who  wor- 
shiped fire  instead  of  the  Almighty  King.  And  he  informed  her  of  what 
he  had  done  with  him;  that  he  had  traveled  with  him,  and  put  him  into 
the  skin  of  the  camel,  and  sewed  it  up  over  him,  and  that  the  birds  had  car- 
ried him  off,  and  put  him  down  upon  the  top  of  the  mountain.  He  told 
her,  too,  what  he  had  seen  upon  the  mountain,  namely,  the  dead  men 
whom  the  Magian  had  deluded  and  left  upon  the  mountain  after  they  had 
accomplished  his  affair ;  and  how  he  cast  himself  into  the  sea  from  the  top 
of  the  mountain,  and  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  preserved  him,  and 
conducted  him  to  the  palace  of  the  damsels  ;  and  of  the  sisterly  love  of  the 
youngest  damsel  for  him,  and  his  residence  with  the  damsels;  and  how 
God  had  conducted  the  Magian  to  the  place  in  which  he  was  residing.  He 
also  told  her  of  his  passion  for  the  damsel  whom  he  had  married,  and  how 
he  caught  her,  and  her  whole  story  [and  the  subsequent  events]  until  God 
reunited  them.  And  when  his  mother  heard  his  story,  she  wondered,  and 
praised  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  for  his  health  and  safety.  She  then 
arose  and  went  to  those  packages,  and  looked  at  them,  and  asked  him  re- 
specting them  ;  and  he  acquainted  her  with  their  contents  ;  whereat  she  re- 
joiced exceedingly.  And  after  that  she  advanced  to  the  damsel,  to  converse 
with  her  and  to  cheer  her  by  her  company ;  and  when  her  eye  fell  upon 
her,  her  mind  was  stupefied  by  her  comeliness,  and  she  rejoiced  and  won- 
dered at  her  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  her  stature  and  justness  of  form. 
Then  she  said  to  Hassan,  O  my  son,  praise  be  to  God  for  thy  safety,  and 
for  thy  safe  return  !  And  she  sat  by  the  side  of  the  damsel,  cheering  her 
by  her  company,  and  comforting  her  heart ;  after  which,  early  the  next 
day,  she  went  down  into  the  market  and  bought  ten  suits,  the  most 
sumptuous  garments  that  were  in  the  city.  She  also  brought  for  her  mag- 
nificent furniture,  and  clad  the  damsel,  and  adorned  her  with  every  thing 
beautiful.  Then  she  accosted  her  son,  and  said,  O  my  son,  with  this 
wealth  we  can  not  live  in  this  city;  for  thou  knowest  that  we  were  poor, 
and  the  people  will  accuse  us  of  practicing  alchemy.  Therefore  arise 
with  us,  and  let  us  go  to  the  city  of  Bagdad,  the  Abode  of  Peace,  that  we 
may  reside  in  the  sacred  asylum  of  the  caliph,  and  thou  shalt  sit  in  a  shop 
and  sell  and  buy,  and  fear  God  (to  whom  be  ascribed  might  and  glory!): 
then  will  God  open  to  thee  the  doors  of  prosperity  by  means  of  this  wealth. 
And  when  Hassan  heard  her  words  he  approved  them. 

He  arose  immediately  and  went  forth  from  her,  sold  the  house,  and 
summoned  the  she-camels  ;  and  he  put  upon  them  all  his  riches  and  goods, 
together  with  his  mother  and  his  wife.  He  set  forth,  and  ceased  not  to 
pursue  his  journey  until  he  arrived  at  the  Tigris  ;  when  he  hired  a  vessel 
to  convey  them  to  Bagdad,  embarked  in  it  all  his  wealth  and  effects,  and  his 
mother,  and  his  wife,  and  every  thing  that  was  with  him,  and  went  on  board 
the  vessel,  which  conveyed  them  with  a  fair  wind  for  a  period  of  ten  days, 
until  they  came  in  sight  of  Bagdad ;  and  when  they  came  in  sight  of  it  they 
rejoiced.  The  vessel  brought  them  into  the  city,  and  Hassan  landed  there 
forthwith,  and  hired  a  magazine  in  one  of  the  khans.  He  then  removed 
his  goods  from  the  vessel  to  the  magazine,  and  went  up,  and  remained  one 
night  in  the  khan ;  and  when  he  arose  in  the  morning  he  changed  his 
clothes;  and  the  broker,  seeing  him,  asked  him  respecting  his  affair,  and 
360 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

what  he  desired:  so  he  said  to  him,  I  desire  a  house,  handsome  and  ample 
And  the  broker  showed  him  the  houses  that  he  had  to  let,  and  a  house  tha 
had  belonged  to  one  of  the  viziers  pleased  him  ;  wherefore  he  bought  it 
him  for  a  hundred  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  gave  him  the  price.    Then 
he  returned  to  the  khan  in  which  he  had  taken  lodging,  and  removed  thenv . 
all  his  wealth  and  his  goods  to  the  house ;  after  which  he  went  forth  in 
the  market  and  bought  what  was  requisite  for  the  house,  of  utensils,  ai   I 
furniture,  and  other  things.     He  purchased  also  eunuchs,  and  among  then 
was  a  young  black  slave,  for  the  house.     And  he  resided  in  ease  with  hi 
wife,  enjoying  the  most  delightful  life  and  happiness,  for  the  space  of  thre 
years,  during  which  he  was  blessed  by  her  with  two  boys,  one  of  whom  he 
named  Nasir,  and  the  other  Mansour. 

Then,  after  this  period,  he  remembered  his  sisters,  the  damsels  before 
mentioned,  and  he  remembered  their  kindness  to  him,  and  how  they  ha 
aided  him  to  attain  his  desire.     So  he  longed  to  see  them;  and,  havin 
gone  forth  to  the  markets  of  the  city,  he  bought  there  some  ornaments,  and 
costly  studs,  and  dried  fruits,  the  like  of  which  they  had  never  seen  no/ 
known.     His  mother,  therefore,  asked  him  the  reason  of  his  buying  thos< 
rarities,  and  he  answered  her,  I  have  determined  to  repair  to  my  sisters, 
who  treated  me  with  all  kindness,  and  from  whose  goodness  and  beneficence 
to  me  my  present  good  fortune  proceeded  ;  for  I  desire  to  go  to  them  and 
to  see  them,  and  I  will  return  soon,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be 
exalted  !      So  she  replied,  O  my  son,  be  not  long  absent  from  me.     And  he 
said  to  her,  Know,  O  my  mother,  how  thou  shalt  manage  with  my  wife 
Here  is  her  dress  of  feathers,  in  a  chest  buried  in  the  earth  :  then,  be  care 
ful  of  it,  lest  she  light  upon  it  and  take  it,  and  fly  away  with  her  children, 
and  depart,  and  I  shall  not  find  any  tidings  of  her;  so  I  shall  die  in  sorrow 
on  account  of  them.     Know  also,  O  my  mother,  that  I  caution  thee  not  t  o 
mention  this  to  her.     And  know  that  she  is  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  the 
Genii,  and  there  is  not  among  the  kings  of  the  Genii  any  greater  than  her 
father,  nor  any  that  hath  more  numerous  troops,  or  more  wealth,  than  he 
Know,  likewise,  that  she  is  the  mistress  of  her  people,  and  the  dearest  of 
the  things  that  her  father  hath.      Moreover,  she  is  excessively  high-mind 
ed  :  therefore  do  thou  thyself  serve  her;   and  allow  her  not  to  go  forth 
from  the  door,  or  to  look  from  the  window,  or  from  over  a  wall;  for  I  fear 
on  her  account  the  wind  when  it  bloweth ;  and  if  any  event  of  the  event  3 
of  the  world.befall  her,  I  shall  slay  myself  on  her  account.     And  his  mothe;- 
replied,  Allah  preserve  me  from  disobeying  thee,  O  my  son!     Am  1  ma 
that  when  thou  givest  me  this  charge,  I  should  disobey  thee  with  respect  to 
it  ?      Set  forth,  O  my  son,  and  be  of  «ood  heart,  and  thou  shalt  come  bad 
happily,  and  Bee  her,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  ! 
and  she  shall  acquaint  thee  with  my  conduct  to  her.     But,  O  my  soi 
remain   not  away  more  than  the  time  required  for  going  and  returning 
And  his  wife,  as  was  decreed,  heard  his  words  to  his  mother;    and  the 
knew  it  not. 

Hassan  then  arose  and  went  forth  from  the  city,  and  beat  the  drum ;  s  • 
thereupon  the  she-camels  came  to  him.  and  he  laded  twenly  with  the  ran 
ties  of  Irak  ;  after  which  he  bade  farewell  to  his  mother,  and  his  wile,  ant 
his  children.      The  age  of  one  of  his  two  children  was  a  year,  and  the  agi 
of  the  other  was  two  years.     Then  he  returned  to  his  mother,  and  charg( 
her  a  second  time ;  and  having  done  this,  he  mounted,  and  journeyed  t< 

Vol.  II.— Q  361 


STORY  OF   HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


Hassan  taking  leave 
his  mother,  aud  wife 
and  children 


his  sisters.  He  ceased  not  to 
pursue  his  journey  night  and 
day,  traversing  the  valleys  and 
the  mountains,  and  the  plains 
and  the  rugged  tracts,  for  the 
space  of  ten  days,  and  on  the 
eleventh  day  he  arrived  at  the 
palace  and  went  in  to  his  sis- 
ters, having  with  him  the 
things  that  he  had  brought  for 
them.  And  when  they  saw 
him,  they  rejoiced  at  his  ar- 
rival, and  congratulated  him 
on  his  safety  ;  and  as  to  his 
sister,  the  youngest  damsel, 
she  decorated  the  palace  with- 
out and  within.  They  took 
the  present,  and  lodged  Hassan 
in  a  private  chamber  as  before, 
and  asked  him  respecting  his 
mother  and  his  wife.  So  he 
informed  them  that  his  wife 
had  borne  him  two  sons.  Then 
his  sister,  the  youngest  damsel, 
when  she  saw  him  in  health 
and  prosperity,  rejoiced  ex- 
ceedingly, reciting  this  verse  : 

I  ask  the  wind  respecting  you  whenever  it  bloweth,  and  none  but 
you  ever  occurreth  to  my  mind. 

He  remained  with  them,  entertained  and  treated  with  honor, 

for  a  period  of  three  months,  and  he  passed  his  time  in  joy  and  happiness, 

and  comfort,  and  cheerfulness,  and  in  hunting. 

But  as  to  his  mother  and  his  wife,  when  Hassan  had  set  forth  on  his 
journey,  his  wife  remained  a  day  and  a  second  day  with  his  mother, 
and  she  said  to  her  on  the  third  day,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  God  ! 
Do  I  reskie  with  him  three  years  and  not  enter  the  bath  ?  And  she  wept. 
So  his  mother  compassionated  her  state,  and  said  to  her,  O  my  daughter, 
we  are  here  strangers,  and  thy  husband  is  not  in  the  city.  If  he  were 
present,  he  would  take  upon  himself  to  serve  thee ;  but  as  for  me,  I  know 
not  any  one.  However,  O  my  daughter,  I  will  heat  for  thee  the  water, 
and  will  wash  thy  head  in  the  bath  that  is  in  the  house.  To  this  the 
damsel  replied,  O  my  mistress,  hadst  thou  said  these  words  to  one  of  the 
female  slaves,  she  would  have  demanded  to  be  sold  in  the  market,  and 
would  not  have  remained  with  you.  But,  O  my  mistress,  men  are  ex- 
cusable ;  for  they  are  jealous,  and  their  minds  say  to  them,  that  the  woman, 
if  she  go  forth  from  her  house,  will  perhaps  commit  a  dishonest  action  ; 
and  women,  O  my  mistress,  are  not  all  alike.  Thou  knowest,  too,  that  a 
woman,  if  she  have  a  desire  for  a  thing,  no  one  can  overcome  her,  nor  can 
any  one  set  a  guard  over  her  or  preserve  her,  or  debar  her  from  the  bath 
or  any  thing  else,  or  from  doing  all  that  she  desire th.  Then  she  wept,  and 
cursed  herself,  and  began  to  bewail  for  herself,  and  for  her  absence  from 
369 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 

her  native  country.  So  the  mother  of  her  husband  pitied  her  state,  and 
knew  that  all  which  she  said  must  be  done.  Wherefore  she  arose  and 
prepared  the  things  that  they  required  for  the  bath,  and  took  her  and  went 
to  t lie  bath.  And  when  they  entered  it,  they  pulled  off  their  clothes,  and 
all  the  women  began  to  look  at  her  and  to  extol  the  perfection  of  God  (to 
whom  be  ascribed  might  and  glory  !),  contemplating  the  beautiful  form  that 
He  had  created.  Every  woman  who  passed  by  the  bath  entered  anil 
diverted  herself  by  viewing  her.  The  fame  of  her  spread  through  the 
city,  and  the  women  crowded  upon  her,  and  the  bath  could  not  be  passed 
through  by  reason  of  the  number  of  women  who  were  in  it.  Now  it  hap- 
pened in  consequence  of  this  wonderful  event,  that  there  came  to  the  bath 
that  day  one  of  the  slave  girls  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Haroun 
Alrashid,  called  Tohfa  the  lute  player;  and  seeing  the  women  crowding 
together,  and  the  bath  not  to  be  passed  through  by  reason  of  the  number 
of  the  women  and  girls,  she  asked  what  was  the  matter,  and  they  informed 
her  of  the  damsel.  So  she  came  in  to  her  and  looked  at  her,  and  viewed 
her  attentively,  and  her  mind  was  confounded  by  her  beauty  and  loveliness. 
She  extolled  the  perfection  of  God  (greatly  be  He  glorified  !)  for  the  beau- 
tiful forms  that  he  had  created,  and  entered  not  [the  inner  apartment] 
nor  washed  ;  but  sat  confounded  at  the  sight  of  the  damsel  until  the  damsel 
had  made  an  end  of  washing,  and  come  forth  and  put  on  her  clothes,  when 
she  appeared  still  more  beautiful.  And  when  she  came  forth  from  the 
bath,  she  sat  upon  the  carpet  and  the  cushions,  the  women  gazing  at  her ; 
and  she  looked  at  them  and  went  forth. 

Tohfa  the  lute  player,  the  slave  girl  of  the  caliph,  arose  and  went  forth 
with  her,  and  proceeded  with  her  until  she  knew  her  house,  when  she 
bade  her  farewell,  and  she  returned  to  the  palace  of  the  caliph.  She 
ceased  not  to  pass  on  until  she  came  before  the  Lady  Zobeide,  and  kissed 
the  ground  before  her;  whereupon  the  Lady  Zobeide  said,  O  Tohfa,  what 
is  the  reason  of  thy  loitering  in  the  bath  ?  So  she  answered,  O  my  mis- 
tress. I  saw  a  wonder,  the  like  of  which  I  have  not  seen  among  men  nor 
among  women,  and  that  was  the  thing  which  diverted  my  attention  and 
amazed  my  mind,  and  confounded  me  so  that  I  did  not  wash  my  head. 
And  the  Lady  Zobeide  said.  And  what  was  it,  O  Tohfa  ?  She  answered, 
O  my  mistress,  I  saw  a  damsel  in  the  bath,  having  with  her  two  young 
children,  like  two  moons,  and  none  hath  beheld  the  like  of  her,  neither 
before  her  nor  alter  her,  nor  doth  there  exist  the  like  of  her  form  in  the 
whole  world.  By  thy  beneficence,  O  my  mistress,  if  thou  acquaintedst 
the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  with  her,  he  would  slay  her  husband,  and  take 
her  from  him;  for  there  existeth  not  one  like  her  among  women.  I  in- 
quired respecting  her  husband,  and  they  said  that  her  husband  is  a  mer- 
chant, whose  name  is  Hassan  of  Balaora.  And  I  followed  her,  when  she 
went  forth  from  the  bath,  until  she  entered  her  house,  whereupon  I  saw 
it  to  be  the  house  of  the  vizier,  that  hath  two  entrances,  an  entrance  on 
the  side  of  the  river  and  an  entrance  on  the  side  of  the  land.  I  fear,  O 
my  mistress,  that  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  may  hear  ofher,  and  that  he 
will  disobey  the  law,  and  slay  her  husband,  and  marry  her.  Upou  this 
the  Lady  Zobeide  said,  Woe  to  thee,  O  Tohfa!  Is  this  damsel  endowed 
with  such  beauty  and  loveliness  that  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  would  sell 
his  religion  for  his  worldly  enjpyments,  and  disobey  the  law  on  her  account  ? 
By  Allah,  I  must   have  a  sight  of  this  damsel;  and  if  she  be  not  as  thou 

363 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

hast  described,  I  will  give  orders  to  strike  off  thy  head,  O  wicked  woman  ! 
In  the  palace  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  are  three  hundred  and  sixty 
slave  girls,  according  to  the  number  of  the  days  of  the  year,  among  whom 
there  is  not  one  such  as  thou  hast  described.  And  she  replied,  O  my 
mistress,  no,  by  Allah  ;  nor  is  there  in  all  Bagdad  the  like  of  her ;  nay, 
neither  among  the  foreigners  nor  among  the  Arabs,  nor  hath  God  (to  whom 
be  ascribed  might  and  glory  !)  created  the  like  of  her. 

So  upon  this  the  Lady  Zobeide  summoned  Mesrour,  who  came  and 
kissed  the  ground  before  her ;  and  she  said  to  him,  O  Mesrour,  go  to  the 
house  of  the  vizier,  that  hath  two  entrances,  an  entrance  toward  the  river, 
and  an  entrance  toward  the  land,  and  bring  to  me  the  damsel  who  is  there, 
together  with  her  children,  and  the  old  woman  who  is  with  her,  quickly, 
and  loiter  not.  And  Mesrour  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  He  went  forth 
from  before  her,  and  proceeded  until  he  arrived  at  the  door  of  the  house, 
whereupon  he  knocked  at  the  door,  and  the  old  woman,  the  mother  of 
Hassan,  came  forth  to  him,  saying,  Who  is  at  the  door  ?  He  answered 
her,  Mesrour,  the  eunuch  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful.  So  she  opened 
the  door,  and  he  entered  and  saluted  her,  and  she  saluted  him,  and  asked 
him  respecting  his  business.  He  therefore  said  to  her,  The  Lady  Zobeide 
the  daughter  of  Kasim,  the  wife  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Haroun 
Alrashid,  the  fifth  of  the  sons  of  Abbas  the  uncle  of  the  Prophet  (whom 
may  God  favor  and  preserve  !),  summoneth  thee  to  her,  thee  and  the  wife 
of  thy  son,  and  her  children  ;  for  the  women  have  informed  her  respecting 
her  and  respecting  her  beauty.  Upon  this,  the  mother  of  Hassan  said,  O 
Mesrour,  we  are  strangers,  and  the  damsel's  husband,  my  son,  is  not  in 
the  city,  and  he  did  not  order  me  to  go  forth,  neither  me  nor  she,  to  any 
one  of  the  creatures  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  ;  and  I  fear,  if  any 
thing  happen,  and  my  son  come,  he  will  slay  himself.  I  beg,  then,  of  thy 
kindness,  O  Mesrour,  that  thou  impose  not  upon  us  a  command  which  we 
are  unable  to  perform.  But  Mesrour  replied,  O  my  mistress,  if  I  knew 
that  in  this  were  aught  to  be  feared  on  your  account,  I  would  not  require 
you  to  go.  The  desire  of  the  Lady  Zobeide  is  only  to  see  her,  and  she 
shall  return  :  therefore  disobey  not ;  for  thou  wouldst  repent ;  and  like  as  I 
take  you  I  will  bring  you  back  hither  safe,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose 
name  be  exalted  !  So  the  mother  of  Hassan  could  not  disobey  him  ; 
wherefore  she  entered,  and  made  ready  the  damsel,  and  took  her  forth, 
together  with  her  children.  They  followed  Mesrour,  who  preceded  them 
to  the  palace  of  the  caliph,  and  led  them  up  and  stationed  them  before  the 
Lady  Zobeide,  whereupon  they  kissed  the  ground  before  her,  and  prayed 
for  her.  The  damsel  had  her  face  covered  :  so  the  Lady  Zobeide  said  to 
her,  Wilt  thou  not  uncover  thy  face,  that  I  may  see  it  ?  The  damsel 
therefore  kissed  the  ground  before  her,  and  displayed  a  face  that  put  to 
shame  the  full  moon  in  the  horizon  of  the  sky  ;  and  when  the  Lady  Zobeide 
beheld  her,  she  fixed  her  eyes  in  astonishment  upon  her,  and  let  them 
wander  over  her,  and  the  palace  was  illuminated  by  her  splendor  and  by 
the  light  of  her  countenance.  Zobeide  was  amazed  at  her  beauty,  and  so 
also  was  every  one  in  the  palace,  and  every  one  who  beheld  her  became 
insane,  unable  to  speak  to  another.  The  Lady  Zobeide  then  arose,  and 
made  the  damsel  stand,  and  she  pressed  her  to  her  bosom,  seated  her  with 
herself  upon  the  couch,  and  commanded  that  they  should  decorate  the 
palace ;  after  which  she  gave  orders  to  bring  for  her  a  suit  of  the  most 
364 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

magnificent  apparel,  and  a  necklace  of  the  most  precious  jewels,  and  decked 
the  damsel  with  them,  and  said  to  her,  O  mistress  of  beauties,  verily  thou 
hast  pleased  me,  and  tilled  my  eye  with  delight.  What  hast  thou  among 
thy  treasures  ?  So  the  damsel  answered,  O  my  mistress,  I  have  a  dress 
of  feathers  :  if  I  were  to  put  it  on  before  thee,  thou  wouldst  see  a  thing 
of  the  most  beautiful  make,  that  thou  wouldst  wonder  at,  and  every  one 
who  would  see  it  would  talk  of  its  beauty,  generation  after  generation. 
And  where,  said  Zobeide,  is  this  thy  dress  ?  She  answered,  It  is  in  the 
possession  of  the  mother  of  my  husband  :  so  demand  it  for  me  of  her. 

The  Lady  Zobeide  therefore  said,  O  my  mother,  by  my  life  I  conjure 
thee  that  thou  go  down  and  bring  to  her  her  dress  of  feathers,  that  she 
may  amuse  us  with  the  sight  of  that  which  she  will  do,  and  take  thou  it 
again.  The  old  woman  replied,  O  my  mistress,  this  damsel  is  a  liar. 
Have  we  seen  any  woman  possessing  a  dress  of  feathers  ?  This  is  a  thing 
that  pertaineth  not  to  any  but  birds.  The  damsel,  however,  said  to  the 
Lady  Zobeide,  By  thy  life,  O  my  mistress,  I  have  in  her  possession  a 
dress  of  feathers,  and  it  is  in  a  chest  buried  in  the  closet  that  is  in  the 
house.  So  the  Lady  Zobeide  pulled  off  from  her  neck  a  necklace  of 
jewels  worth  the  treasures  of  a  Kosru  and  a  Cassar,  and  said  to  her,  O  my 
mother,  receive  this  necklace.  And  she  handed  it  to  her,  saying  to  her, 
By  my  life  I  conjure  thee  that  thou  go  down  and  bring  that  dress,  that  we 
may  divert  ourselves  with  the  sight  of  it,  and  take  thou  it  again  after  that. 
But  she  swore  to  her  that  she  had  not  seen  this  dress,  and  that  she  knew 
not  where  to  find  it.  And  upon  this,  the  Lady  Zobeide  cried  out  at  the 
old  woman,  and,  having  taken  from  her  the  key,  called  Mesrour,  who  came, 
and  she  said  to  him,  Take  this  key,  and  go  to  the  house,  and  open  it,  and 
enter  the  closet  of  which  the  door  is  of  such  and  such  a  description  :  in  the 
midst  of  it  is  a  chest,  which  take  thou  up,  and  break  it,  and  bring  the  dress 
of  feathers  that  is  in  it  before  me.  So  he  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  He 
took  the  key  from  the  hand  of  the  Lady  Zobeide,  and  went ;  and  the  old 
woman,  the  mother  of  Hassan,  arose,  with  weeping  eye,  repenting  of  her 
compliance  with  the  desire  of  the  damsel,  and  of  having  gone  to  the  bath 
with  her;  for  the  damsel  had  not  desired  to  go  to  the  bath  save  for  the 
purposo  of  practicing  a  stratagem.  Then  the  old  woman  entered  the  house 
with  Mesrour,  and  she  opened  the  door  of  the  closet :  so  he  entered,  and 
took  forth  the  chest,  took  from  it  the  dress  of  feathers,  and,  having  wrapped 
it  in  a  napkin  that  ho  had  with  him,  brought  it  to  the  Lady  Zobeide,  who 
took  it  and  turned  it  over,  wondering  at  the  beauty  of  its  make.  She  then 
handed  it  to  the  damsel,  saying  to  her,  Is  this  thy  dress  of  feathers  ?  She 
answered,  Yes,  O  my  mistress.  And  she  stretched  forth  her  hand  to  it 
and  took  it  from  her,  full  of  joy. 

The  damsel  examined  it,  and  saw  that  it  was  perfect  as  it  was  -when  upon 
her,  not  a  single  feather  of  it  being  lost.  She  was  therefore  delighted  with 
it,  and  rose  from  the  side  of  the  Lady  Zobeide,  took  the  dress  and  opened 
it,  and  took  her  children  in  her  bosom ;  after  which  she  wrapped  herself 
in  it,  and  became  a  bird,  by  the  power  of  God,  to  whom  be  ascribed  might 
and  glory  !  So  the  Lady  Zobeide  wondered  at  that,  as  also  did  every  one 
who  was  present;  all  of  them  wondering  at  that  which  she  did.  The 
damsel  leaned  from  side  to  side,  and  walked  about,  and  danced  and  played  ; 
and  the  persons  present  had  fixed  their  eyes  in  astonishment  upon  her, 
wondering  at  her  actions.     She  then  said  to  them,  with  an  eloquent  tongue, 

365 


STORY  Of  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


<^9 


O  my  mistresses,  is  this  beau- 
tiful ?  The  persons  present 
answered  her,  Yes,  O  mis- 
tress of  beauties  :  all  that  thou 
hast  done  is  beautiful.  And 
she  said  to  them,  And  this 
that  I  am  about  to  do  will  be 
more  beautiful,  O  my  mis- 
tresses. And  she  expanded 
her  wings,  and  flew  up  with 
her  children  above  the  cupola, 
and  stood  upon  the  roof  of  the 
saloon.  So  they  looked  at  her 
and  said  to  her,  By  Allah,  this 
is  an  extraordinary  and  a  beau- 
tiful art,  that  we  have  never 
before  beheld !  Then  the 
damsel,  when  she  desired  to 
fly  away  to  her  country,  re- 
membered Hassan,  and  said, 
Hear,  O  my  mistresses  !  And 
she  recited  these  verses  : 

O  thou  who  hast  quitted  these 
mansions,  and  departed   to 
the  objects  of  thy  love  with 
rapid  flight ! 
Dost  thou  think  that  I  continue 
in  comfort  among  you,  and 
that  your  life  hath  not  be- 
come a  life  of  troubles  ? 
When  I  was  taken  captive  in 
the  snare  of  love,  he  made 
love  my  prison,   and  went 
far  away. 
When  my  dress  was  hidden, 
he  felt  sure  that  I  should  not 
implore  the  One,  the  Omnip- 
otent, to  restore  it. 
He  charged  his  mother  to  keep 
it  carefully  in  a  closet,  and 
transgressed     against    me, 
and  oppressed  ; 
But  I  heard  their  words,  and 
kept  them  in  my  memory, 
and     conceived    hopes    of 
abundant  good  fortune. 
My  going  to  the  bath  was  the  means  of  making  the  minds  of  people  to  be  con- 
founded at  the  sight  of  me  ; 
And  the  spouse  of  Alrashid  wondered  at  my  beauty,  when  she  beheld  me  on  the 

right  and  left. 
Then  I  said,  O  wife  of  the  caliph,  I  possess  a  dress  of  feathers  of  great  magnificence. 
If  it  were  upon  me,  thou  wouldst  see  wonders  that  would  efface  sorrow  and  dis- 
perse troubles. 
So  the  spouse  of  the  caliph  asked,  Where  is  it  ?     And  I  answered,  In  the  house 

of  him  who  hath  hidden  it. 
And  Mesrour  pounced  down  and  brought  it  to  her;  and  lo,  it  was  here,  beaming 
with  light. 
366 


The  flight  of  Hassan's  wife. 


STORY  OF  HASSAN   OF  BALSORA. 

Thereupon  I  took  it  from  his  hand  and  opened  it,  and  I  saw  its  bosom  and  its 

buttons. 
Then  I  entered  it,  having  my  children  with  me,  and   expanded  my  wiugs,  and 

flew  away. 
0  mother  of  my  husband,  tell  him  when  he  cometh,  if  he  wish  to  meet  me,  he 

must  leave  his  home. 

And  when  she  had  ended  her  verses,  the  Lady  Zobeide  said  to  her,  Wilt, 
thou  not  descend  to  us,  that  we  may  continue  to  enjoy  thy  beauty,  O  mis- 
tress of  the  comely?  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  Him  who  hath  en- 
dowed thee  with  eloquence  and  beauty  !  But  she  replied,  Far  from  re- 
turning be  that  which  hath  passed  !  She  then  said  to  the  mother  of  Has- 
san, the  mourning,  the  wretched,  By  Allah,  O  my  mistress,  O  mother  of 
Hassan,  thou  wilt  render  me  desolate  by  thine  absence  ;  but  when  thy  son 
hath  come,  and  the  days  of  separation  have  become  tedious  to  him,  and  he 
desireth  approach  and  meeting,  and  the  winds  of  love  and  longing  desire 
agitate  him,  let  him  come  to  me  in  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak.  And  she 
flew  away  with  her  children,  and  sought  her  country. 

When  the  mother  of  Hassan  beheld  this,  she  wept,  and  slapped  her  face, 
and  wailed  until  she  fainted  ;  and  when  she  recovered,  the  Lady  Zobeide 
said  to  her,  O  my  mistress  the  pilgrim,  I  did  not  know  that  this  would  hap- 


Zobeide  apologizing  to  Hassan's  mother, 


pen;  and  if  thou  hadst  acquainted  me  with  it,  1  would  not  have  opposed 
thee.  I  knew  not  that  she  was  of  the  Flying  Genii  before  the  present 
time:  ami  had  I  known  that  she  was  of  this  nature,  I  would  not  have  al- 
lowed her  to  put  on  the  dress,  nor  would  1  have  suffered  her  to  take  her 
children.  But,  O  my  mistress,  absolve  me.  And  the  old  woman  replied, 
having  no  way  of  avoiding  it,  Thou  art  absolved.  She  then  went  forth  from 
the  palace  of  the  caliph,  and  ceased  not  to  pursue  her  way  until  she  en- 
tered her  house,  when  she  proceeded  to  slap  her  face  until  she  fainted 
again  ;  and  when  she  recovered  from  her  lit,  she  sorrowfully  longed  for  the. 

367 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

lamsol  and  for  her  children,  and  for  the  sight  of  her  son,  and  recited  these 
erses  : 

On  the  day  of  separation  your  removal  made  me  weep,  lamenting;  on  account  of 
your  absence  from  home. 

I  cried  out,  from  the  pain  of  parting,  in  anguish — and  tears  had  made  my  eyelids 
sore — 

This  is  separation!  Shall  we  enjoy  your  return?  For  your  departure  hath  de- 
prived me  of  the  power  of  concealment. 

Would  they  had  returned,  and  observed  good  faith!  If  they  do  so,  perhaps  my 
former  times  may  return. 

Then  she  arose,  and  dug  in  the  house  three  graves;  and  she  betook  her- 
.-  elf  to  them,  weeping  night  and  day.  And  when  the  absence  of  her  son 
1  ecame  tedious  to  her,  and  her  disquietude,  and  longing,  aud  mourning  be- 
rame  excessive,  she  recited  these  verses: 

Thine  image  is  within  mine  eyelids,  and  1  think  of  thee  when  my  heart  is  throb- 
bing and  when  it  is  quiet, 

And  love  of  thee  hath  circulated  in  my  bones,  as  circulates  the  juice  in  the  fruits 
upon  the  branches  : 

And  when  I  see  thee  not,  my  bosom  is  contracted,  and  the  censurers  excuse  me 
for  my  sorrows. 

0  thou  whose  love  hath  got  possession  of  me,  and  for  whom  my  distraction  ex- 
ceeded! my  affection, 

Fear  the  Compassionate,  with  respect  to  me,  and  be  merciful !  Love  of  thee  hath 
made  me  to  taste  of  death. 

But  as  to  her  son  Hassan,  when  he  came  to  the  damsels,  they  conjured 
liim  to  stay  with  them  for  three  months.  And  after  that  period,  they 
prepared  for  him  the  wealth,  and  made  ready  for  him  ten  loads,  five  of  gold 
■   id  five  of  silver,  and  also  of  provisions  one  load  ;  after  which  they  bade 

m  commence  his  journey,  and  went  forth  with  him;  but  he  conjured 
'  em  to  return.  So  they  advanced  to  embrace  him,  for  the  purpose  of 
bidding  him  farewell.  The  youngest  damsel  first  advanced  to  him,  and  she 
embraced  him,  and  wept  until  she  fainted.  Then  she  recited  these  two 
verses : 

When  shall  the  fire  now  kindled  by  separation  be  quenched  by  your  approach, 
and  my  desire  be  accomplished  by  your  presence,  and  when  shall  we  be  as 
formerly  ? 

The  day  of  parting  hath  filled  me  with  terror,  and  hath  afflicted  me  ;  and  the  act 
of  bidding  thee  farewell,  O  my  master,  hath  increased  my  infirmity. 

The  second  damsel  next  approached,  and  embraced  him,  and  recited  this 
i   mplet : 

Bidding  thee  farewell  is  like  bidding  life  farewell;  and  the  loss  of  thee  is  like  the 

loss  of  the  zephyr. 
Thine  absence  is  like  a  fire  that  burnetii  my  heart,  and  in  thy  presence  I  enjoy  the 

Gardens  of  Delight. 

In  like  manner  also  did  the  other  damsels;  each  embracing  him  and  recit- 
ing  a  couplet.  Then  Hassan  bade  them  farewell.  He  wept  until  he  faint- 
ed, on  account  of  his  separation  from  them,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

My  tears  flowed,  on  the  day  of  separation,  like  pearls,  and  I  made  of  them,  as  it 

were,  a  necklace. 
The  camel-driver  urged  on  the  beasts  with  singing,  and  I  found  not  strength  nor 

patience,  nor  was  my  heart  with  me. 

1  bade  them  farewell ;  then  retired  in  grief,  and  quitted  the  society  of  the  places 
I  had  frequented. 

368 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

I  returned— evil  was  the  way  ! — and  my  soul  was  not  comforted  save  by  hoping  to 

come  again  and  see  thee. 
O  my  friend,  listen  to  the  words  of  love!     God  forbid  that  I  should  speak  and  thy 

heart  should  not  remember ! 
O  my  soul,  when  thou  partest  with  them,  also  part  with  the  delight  of  life,  and 

wish  not  to  survive ! 

He  then  pursued  his  journey  with  assiduity,  night  find  day,  until  he  ar- 
rived at  Bagdad,  the  Abode  of  Peace,  and  the  sacred  asylum  of  the  caliphs 
of  the  race  of  Abbas ;  and  he  knew  not  what  had  happened  after  his  de- 
parture. 

He  entered  the  house,  and  went  in  to  his  mother  to  salute  her;  but  he 
saw  that  her  body  was  emaciated,  and  her  bones  were  wasted,  by  reason 
of  exceeding  lamentation  and  sleeplessness,  and  weeping,  and  groaning,  so 
that  she  had  become  like  a  toothpick,  and  she  was  unable  to  reply.  He 
dismissed  the  she-camels,  and  advanced  to  her ;  and  when  he  beheld  her 
in  this  state,  he  went  about  the  house  searching  for  his  wife  and  children, 
and  found  not  any  trace  of  them.  Then  he  looked  into  the  closet,  and  he 
found  it  open,  and  the  chest  also  open,  and  he  found  not  in  it  the  dress. 
So  upon  this  he  knew  that  she  had  got  possession  of  the  dress  of  feathers, 
and  taken  it,  and  flown  away,  taking  her  children  with  her.  He  therefore 
returned  to  his  mother,  and,  seeing  that  she  had  recovered  from  her  fit,  he 
asked  her  respecting  his  wife  and  his  children ;  and  she  wept,  and  said,  O 
my  son,  may  God  compensate  thee  greatly  for  the  loss  of  them  !  These 
are  their  three  tombs.  And  when  he  heard  the  words  of  his  mother,  he 
uttered  a  great  cry,  and  fell  down  in  a  fit,  and  thus  he  remained  from  the 
commencement  of  the  day  until  noon.  The  grief  of  his  mother  therefore 
increased,  and  she  despaired  of  his  life.  And  when  he  recovered,  he  wept, 
and  slapped  his  face,  and  rent  his  clothes,  and  went  about  the  house  con- 
founded.    Then  he  recited  these  two  verses : 

Persons  before  me  have  bemoaned  the  pain  of  absence,  and  living  and  dead  have 

been  terrified  by  estrangement ; 
But  an  instance  of  feelings  like  those  in  my  bosom  I  have  never  heard  of  nor 

beheld. 

And  after  he  had  concluded  his  verses,  he  took  his  sword  and  drew  it,  and, 
coming  to  his  mother,  he  said  to  her,  If  thou  acquaint  me  not  with  the 
truth  of  the  case,  I  will  strike  off  thy  head,  and  slay  myself.  So  she  said 
to  him,  O  my  son,  do  not  that,  and  I  will  inform  thee.  Then  she  said  to 
him,  Sheathe  thy  sword,  and  sit,  that  I  may  tell  thee  what  happened. 
And  when  he  had  sheathed  his  sword  and  seated  himself  by  her  side,  she 
repeated  to  him  the  story  from  beginning  to  end,  and  siiid  to  him,  O  my 
son,  if  I  had  not  seen  her  weep  to  go  to  the  bath,  and  feared  thee,  that 
thou  wouldst  come  and  that  she  would  complain  to  thee,  and  thou  wouldst 
bo  incensed  against  me,  I  had  not  gone  with  her  thither.  And  if  the  Lady 
Zobeide  had  not  been  incensed  against  me,  and  taken  from  mo  the  key  by 
force,  I  had  not  taken  forth  the  dress,  though  I  should  have  died  ;  and,  O 
my  son,  thou  knowest  that  no  one  can  contend  for  superiority  in  power 
with  the  caliph.  Then,  when  they  brought  the  dress  to  her,  she  took  it 
and  turned  it  over,  imagining  that  some  part  of  it  might  be  lost ;  but  she 
found  that  no  injury  had  happened  to  it.  She  therefore  rejoiced,  and, 
having  taken  her  children,  she  bound  them  to  her  waist,  and  put  on  the 
dress  of  feathers,  after  the  Lady  Zobeide  had  pulled  off  and  given  to  her 
y*  3G9 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

all  that  was  upon  her,  in  honor  of  her,  and  for  her  loveliness.  And  when 
she  had  put  on  the  dress  of  feathers,  she  shook,  and  became  a  bird  ;  and 
she  walked  about  the  palace,  while  they  looked  at  her  and  wondered  at  her 
beauty  and  loveliness.  She  then  flew  up,  and  perched  upon  the  palace ; 
and  after  that  she  looked  at  me  and  said  to  me,  When  thy  son  hath  come, 
and  the  nights  of  separation  have  become  tedious  to  him,  and  he  desiieth 
to  approach  and  meet  me,  and  the  winds  of  love  and  longing  desire  agitate 
him,  he  must  leave  his  home,  and  repair  to  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak. 
Thus  did  she  during  thine  absence. 

Now  when  Hassan  heard  the  words  of  his  mother,  he  uttered  a  great 
cry,  and  fell  down  in  a  fit.     He  ceased  not  to  lie  in  this  state  until  the  close 


IPPHi 


Hassan's  distress  on  hearing  of  the  flight  of  his  wife. 


of  the  day  ;  and  when  he  recovered,  he  slapped  his  face,  and  rolled  about 
on  the  floor  like  a  serpent.  His  mother  sat  weeping  at  his  head  until  mid- 
night ;  and  after  he  had  recovered  from  his  fit,  he  wept  vehemently,  and 
recited  these  verses : 

Pause,  and  see  the  condition  of  him  whom  you  abandon :  perhaps  you  will  pity 

him  after  your  cruelty ; 
For  if  you  see  him.  you  will  doubt  of  him,  by  reason  of  his  sickness,  as  though,  by 

Allah,  you  knew  him  not. 
He  is  dying  in  consequence  of  his  passion  for  you,  and  would  be  numbered  among 

the  dead,  but  for  his  groaning. 
Do  not  imagine  your  separation  to  be  light:  it  is  grievous  to  the  lover,  and  death 

would  be  easier. 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  arose,  and  continued  going  about 
the  house,  moaning,  and  weeping,  and  wailing,  for  a  period  of  five  days, 
370 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

during  which  he  tasted  not  food  nor  drink.  So  his  mother  went  to  him, 
and  conjured  him  with  oaths  to  abstain  from  weeping;  but  he  yielded  not 
to  her  words,  and  ceased  not  to  weep  and  wail.  His  mother  still  attempt- 
ed to  console  him;  but  he  would  not  attend  to  aught  that  she  said.  He 
continued  in  this  state,  weeping  until  the  next  morning.  Then  his  eyes 
slumbered,  and  he  saw  his  wife  mourning  and  weeping ;  whereupon  he 
arose  from  his  sleep,  crying  out,  and  recited  these  two  verses : 

Thine  image  is  with  me,  and  never  quittelh  me.  I  have  given  it  the  most  honor- 
able place  in  my  heart. 

But  for  the  hope  of  reunion,  I  could  not  live  a  moment;  and  but  for  the  phantom 
of  thy  form,  I  would  not  sleep. 

And  in  the  morning  his  wailing  and  weeping  increased.  He  remained  with 
weeping  eye  and  mourning  heart,  sleepless  during  the  night,  and  eating  lit- 
tle ;  and  he  continued  in  this  state  for  the  space  of  a  whole  month. 

But  when  that  month  had  passed,  it  occurred  to  his  mind  that  he  should 
journe}'  to  his  sisters,  in  order  that  they  might  assist  him  to  attain  his  de- 
sire of  regaining  his  wife.  So  he  summoned  the  excellent  she-camels, 
loaded  fifty  with  rarities  of  Irak,  and  mounted  one  of  them.  He  then 
charged  his  mother  with  the  care  of  the  house,  and  committed  all  his  goods 
[to  the  custody  of  persons  of  his  acquaintance],  except  a  few  things  that 
he  left  in  the  house  ;  after  which  he  set  forth  on  his  journey  to  his  sisters, 
hoping  that  he  might  obtain  their  aid  to  effect  his  reunion  with  his  wife. 
He  ceased  not  to  pursue  his  way  until  he  arrived  at  the  palace  of  the  dam- 
sels by  the  Mountain  of  Clouds;  and  when  he  went  in  to  them,  he  pre- 
sented to  them  the  gifts,  with  which  they  were  delighted  ;  and  they  con- 
gratulated him  on  his  safety,  and  said  to  him,  O  our  brother,  what  is  the 
reason  of  thy  coming  so  quickly,  when  thou  hast  not  been  absent  from  us 
more  than  two  months  ?     And  upon  this  he  wept,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

I  find  my  soul  solicitous  on  account  of  the  loss  of  its  beloved,  enjoying  not  life  nor 
its  delights. 

My  disease  is  one  of  which  the  cure  is  unknown.  And  can  any  one  cure  diseases 
but  their  physician  ? 

O  thou  who  hast  debarred  me  from  the  delight  of  sleep!  thou  hast  left  me  to  in- 
quire for  thee  of  the  wind  when  it  bloweth, 

If  it  be  near  to  the  place  of  the  beloved,  who  comprised]  those  charms  that  excite 
mine  eye  to  weep. 

O  thou  who  aligbtest  in  her  country!  perhaps  thy  breath  may  revive  my  heart 
by  its  fragrance. 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  uttered  a  great  cry,  and  fell  down 
in  a  fit ;  and  the  damsels  seated  themselves  around  him,  weeping  for  him, 
until  he  recovered  from  his  fit;  whereupon  he  recited  this  couplet: 

Probably  fortune  will  turn  its  rein,  and  brine:  my  beloved  ;  for  time  is  changeaole  . 
And  my  fortune  may  prosper  me,  and  my  wants  be  performed,  and  happy  events 
may  follow  adverse. 

He  continued  for  some  time  weeping  and  fainting,  and  reciling  vei-ses  ;  and 
the  damsels  had  retired  ;  but  when  his  sister  heard  his  words,  she  came 
forth  to  him,  and  saw  him  lying  in  a  fit;  upon  which  she  cried  out,  and 
shipped  her  face;  and  her  sisters,  hearing  her,  came  forth  to  her,  and  be- 
held Hassan  lying  in  a  fit.  They  surrounded  him,  and  wept  for  him  ;  and 
when  they  saw  him  in  this  state,  the  ecstasy  and  distraction  of  love,  and 
longing  desire  that  affected  him,  no  longer  remained  concealed  from  them. 
They  then  asked  him  respecting  his  condition,  and  he  wept,  and  ac- 

371 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 


Hassan  approaching  the  palace  of  ihe  seven  sisters. 

lua'.'.ited  them  with  that  which  had  befallen  him  during  his  absence  from 
jorae,  te'"       tl  e  a  e  1  ad  flown  away,  and  taken  her  children 

cvith  her.     ^o  tl  r  1  itn,  aud  asked  him  what  she  said  when 

die  departed;  and  he  8  I,  O  my  sisters,  she  said  to  my  mother, 

nell  thy  son,  when  he  ha   i  \  and  the  nights  of  separation  have  be- 

ome  tedious  to  him,  and  he -i  eth  to  approach  aud  meet  me,  and  the 
rinds  of  love  and  longing  des!  )  agitate  him,  he  must  come  to  me  in  the 
islands  of  Wak-Wak.  And  when  they  heard  his  words,  they  winked  to 
>nch  other,  and  reflected ;  and  each  of  them  looked  at  her  sister,  while 
Hassan  looked  at  them.  Then  they  hung  down  their  heads  toward  the 
ground  a  while  ;  and  after  that  they  raised  their  heads,  and  said,  There 
is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great !  Aud  they  said 
to  him,  Stretch  forth  thy  hand  to  heaven,  and  if  thou  canst  reach  to  heav- 
?,n,  thou  mayest  reach  to  thy  wife  and  thy  children.  And  thereupon  his 
ears  ran  down  upon  his  cheeks  like  rain,  so  that  they  wetted  his  clothes  : 
and  he  recited  these  verses : 

The  red  cheeks  and  the  pupils  of  the  eyes  have  disturbed  me,  and  patience  aban- 
doned me  when  sleeplessness  approached. 

Fair,  sleek  damsels  have  by  cruelty  emaciated  my  body  :  to  men's  eyes  it  seemeth 
not  to  retain  the  last  breath. 
372 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

With  black  eyes  and  proud  gait,  like  the  gazelles  of  the  sand-hill,  they  showed 

beauty  of  which  the  saints,  if  they  saw  it,  would  be  enamored. 
They  walk  like  the  zephyr  of  the  gardens  toward  daybreak.     Through  love  of 

them,  anxiety  and  disquietude  have  come  upon  me. 
I  have  attached  my  hopes  to  a  lovely  damsel  among  them.    My  heart  burnetii  with 

flaming  fire  on  her  account. 
Gazelle-like,  sleek-limbed,  walking  with  proud  gait;  her  face  is  like  the  morning; 

but  her  hair  is  dark  as  night. 
She  hath  disturbed  me.     But  how  many  heroes  have  the  eyelids  and  the  eyes  of 

the  fair  ones  disturbed  with  love  ! 

And  when  he  had  concluded  his  verses  he  wept,  and  the  damsels  wept  at 
his  weeping;  compassion  and  zeal  for  him  affecting  them. 

They  betook  themselves  to  soothing  him,  and  exhorting  him  to  have  pa- 
tience, and  praying  for  his  reunion  to  his  wife ;  and  his  sister  accosted  him 
and  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  be  of  good  heart  and  cheerful  eye,  and  be 
patient :  then  wilt  thou  attain  thy  desire  ;  for  he  who  is  patient,  and  wait- 
eth,  obtaineth  what  he  wisheth ;  and  patience  is  the  key  of  relief.  The 
poet  hath  said, 

Let  destiny  ran  with  slackened  reins,  and  pass  not  the  night  but  with  careless 

mind  ; 
For  between  the  closing  of  an  eye  and  its  opening,  God  effecteth  a  change  in  the 

state  of  affairs. 

She  then  said  to  him,  Strengthen  thy  heart,  and  confirm  thy  resolution ; 
for  he  whose  life  is  to  be  ten  years  will  not  die  when  he  is  but  nine ;  and 
weeping,  and  grief,  and  mourning  occasion  disease  and  sickness.  Remain 
with  us  until  thou  shalt  have  taken  rest,  and  I  will  contrive  means  of  thy 
gaining  access  to  thy  wife  and  thy  children,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose 
name  be  exalted  !     But  he  wept  violently,  and  recited  this  couplet : 

If  I  be  cured  of  a  disease  in  my  body,  I  am  not  cured  of  a  disease  in  my  heart. 
There  is  no  other  cure  for  the  diseases  of  love  than  union  of  the  beloved  with  the 
lover. 

Then  he  sat  by  the  side  of  his  sister,  who  proceeded  to  converse  with 
him  and  to  console  him,  and  asked  him  what  was  the  cause  of  his  wife's 
departure.  So  he  informed  her  of  the  cause  of  that  event;  and  she 
said  to  him,  By  Allah,  O  my  brother,  I  desired  to  say  to  thee,  Burn  the 
dress  of  feathers  :  but  the  Devil  made  me  forget  that.  And  she  continued 
to  converse  with  him  and  to  soothe  him.  But  when  the  case  became  te- 
dious to  him,  and  his  disquietude  increased,  he  recited  these  verses : 

A  beloved,  with  whom  I  was  familiar,  hath  got  possession  of  my  heart ;  and  God's 
decree  can  not  be  prevented. 

She  hath  all  the  united  beauty  of  the  Arabs.  She  is  a  gazelle  ;  but  freely  pas- 
tureth  on  my  heart. 

Though  my  patience  and  contrivance  in  my  love  of  her  are  little,  I  weep,  notwith- 
standing weeping  availeth  not. 

She  is  lovely,  and  hath  twice  seven  years,  as  though  she  were  a  moon  of  five 
nights  and  five  and  four. 

So  when  his  sister  saw  how  he  suffered  from  ecstasy  and  distraction  of 
love,  and  the  afflictions  of  passion  and  desire,  she  went  to  her  sisters  with 
weeping  eye  and  mourning  heart,  and  she  wept  before  them,  threw  her- 
self upon  them,  kissed  their  feet,  and  begged  them  to  aid  her  brother  in 
the  accomplishment  of  his  affair,  and  in  effecting  his  meeting  with  his  chil- 
dren and  his  wife.  She  conjured  them  to  contrive  means  of  procuring  him 
access  to  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak,  and  ceased  not  to  weep  before  her  sis- 

373 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

ters  until  she  made  them  also  weep,  and  they  said  to  her,  Comfort  thy 
heart ;  for  we  will  strive  to  accomplish  his  meeting  with  his  family,  if  it  be 
the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted !  He  then  remained  with  them  a 
whole  year;  but  his  eye  abstained  not  from  shedding  tears. 

Now  the  sisters  of  the  youngest  damsel  had  a  paternal  uncle,  the  broth- 
er of  their  father  by  the  same  father  and  mother,  and  his  name  was  Abd- 
elcadus.  He  loved  the  eldest  damsel  with  a  great  affection,  and  every 
year  he  used  to  visit  her  once  and  perform  her  affairs.  The  damsels  also 
had  related  to  him  the  story  of  Hassan,  and  the  events  that  befell  him  with 
the  Magian,  and  how  he  was  enabled  to  slay  him  ;  whereat  their  uncle  re- 
joiced ;  and  he  gave  to  the  eldest  damsel  a  purse  containing  some  incense, 
and  said  to  her,  O  daughter  of  my  brother,  if  any  thing  render  thee  anx- 
ious, and  any  thing  disagreeable  happen  to  thee,  or  any  want  occur  to  thee, 
throw  this  incense  into  the  fire,  and  mention  me  ;  and  I  will  come  to  thee 
quickly,  and  will  perform  thy  want.  This  he  said  on  the  first  day  of  the 
year.  And  that  damsel  said  to  one  of  her  sisters,  Verily  the  year  hath  en- 
tirely passed,  and  my  uncle  hath  not  come.  Arise,  strike  the  steel  upon 
the  flint,  and  bring  me  the  box  of  incense.  So  the  damsel  arose  joyful, 
and  brought  the  box  of  incense  ;  and  she  opened  it,  and,  having  taken  from 
it  a  small  quantity,  handed  it  to  her  sister,  who  took  it  and  threw  it  into  the 
fire,  mentioning  her  uncle  ;  and  the  fumes  of  the  incense  had  not  ceased 
before  a  dust  appeared  advancing  from  the  further  extremity  of  the  valley. 
Then,  after  a  while,  the  dust  dispersed,  and  there  appeared  beneath  it  a 
sheikh  riding  upon  an  elephant,  which  was  crying  out  beneath  him.  And 
when  the  damsels  beheld  him,  he  began  to  make  signs  to  them  with  his 
hands  and  his  feet.  Soon  after,  he  came  to  them,  and  alighted  from  the 
elephant,  and  came  in  to  them  ;  whereupon  they  embraced  him,  and  kissed 
his  hands,  and  saluted  him.  He  then  sat,  and  the  damsels  proceeded  to 
converse  with  him,  and  to  ask  him  the  cause  of  his  absence.  And  he  said, 
I  was  just  now  sitting  with  the  wife  of  your  uncle,  and  I  smelled  the  in- 
cense :  so  I  came  to  you  upon  this  elephant.  What,  then,  dost  thou  desire, 
O  daughter  of  my  brother  ?  She  answered,  O  my  uncle,  we  were  long- 
ing to  see  thee,  the  year  having  passed,  and  it  is  not  thy  custom  to  remain 
absent  from  us  more  than  a  year.  And  he  replied,  I  was  occupied,  and  I 
had  determined  to  come  to  you  to-morrow.  They  therefore  thanked  him 
and  prayed  for  him. 

After  that  they  sat  conversing  with  him,  and  the  eldest  damsel  said  to 
him,  O  my  uncle,  we  related  to  thee  the  story  of  Hassan  of  Balsora,  whom 
Bahrain  the  Magian  brought,  and  how  he  slew  him,  and  we  informed  thee 
of  the  damsel,  the  daughter  of  the  supreme  king,  whom  he  took,  and  of 
the  difficulties  and  horrors  he  endured,  and  how  he  caught  the  king's  daugh- 
ter and  married  her,  and  how  he  journeyed  with  her  to  his  country.  He 
replied,  Yes.  And  what,  he  asked,  happened  to  him  after  this  ?  She  an- 
swered him,  She  acted  perfidiously  to  him,  after  he  had  been  blessed  with 
two  sons  by  her;  she  took  them  and  departed  with  them  to  her  country 
while  he  was  absent ;  and  she  said  to  his  mother,  When  thy  son  hath  come, 
and  the  nights  of  separation  have  become  tedious  to  him,  and  he  desireth 
to  approach  and  meet  me,  and  the  winds  of  love  and  longing  desire  agitate 
him,  he  must  come  to  me  in  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak.  And  upon  this  he 
shook  his  head  and  bit  his  finger.  Then  he  hung  down  his  head  toward 
the  ground,  and  began  to  make  marks  upon  the  ground  with  the  end  of  his 
374 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


%£4 


'     . 


■■■'.--0 

Abdelcadus  on  the  elephant. 

finger ;  after  which  he  looked  to  the  right  and  left,  and  shook  his  head 
again,  while  Hassan  looked  at  him,  but  was  concealed  from  him.  So  the 
damsels  said  to  their  uncle,  Reply  to  ns  ;  for  our  livers  are  broken  in  pieces. 
And  he  shook  his  head  at  them,  and  said  to  them,  O  my  daughters,  this 
man  hath  wearied  himself,  and  cast  himself  into  a  most  terrible  predica- 
ment and  great  peril;  for  he  can  not  gain  access  to  the  Islands  of  Wak- 
Wak.  Upon  this  the  damsels  called  Hassan,  and  he  came  forth  to  them, 
and,  advancing  to  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus,  he  kissed  his  hand  and  saluted 
him  ;  and  the  sheikh  was  pleased  a\  itli  him,  and  seated  him  by  his  side. 
The  damsels  then  said  to  their  uncle,  O  uncle,  show  our  brother  the  truth 
of  that  which  thou  hast  said.  He  therefore  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  relin- 
quish this  most  vexatious  affair;  for  thou  couldst  not  gain  access  to  the  Isl- 
ands of  Wak-Wak  even  if  the  Flying  Genii  and  the  wandering  stars  assist- 
ed thee,  since  between  thee  and  those  islands  are  seven  valleys,  and  seven 
seas,  and  seven  mountains  of  vast  magnitude.  How,  then,  canst  thou  gain 
access  to  this  place,  and  who  will  convev  thee  to  it?     By  Allah,  I  conjure 

375 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


/ 


thee  that  thou  return  soon,  and  weary  not  thy  heart.  And  when  Hassan 
heard  the  words  of  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus,  he  wept  until  he  fainted,  and 
the  damsels  sat  around  him  weeping  for  his  weeping.  But  as  to  the  youn- 
gest damsel,  she  rent  her  clothes  and  slapped  her  face  until  she<also  fainted. 
So  when  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  saw  them  in  this  state  of  anxiety,  and 
ecstasy  of  grief,  and  mourning,  he  pitied  them,  and  was  affected  with  com- 
miseration for  them,  and  he  said,  Be  ye  silent.  Then  he  said  to  Hassan, 
Comfort  thy  heart,  and  rejoice  at  the  prospect  of  the  accomplishment  of 
thine  affair,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted !  And  after 
that  he  said  to  him.  O  my  son,  arise,  and  brace  up  thy  nerves,  and  follow  me. 

So  Hassan  stood  up,  after  he  had 
bidden  the  damsels  farewell ;  and 
he  followed  him,  rejoicing  in  ex- 
pectation of  the  accomplishment  of 
his  affair.  The  Sheikh  Abdelca- 
dus then  called  the  elephant,  and 
he  came,  and  he  mounted  him, 
^  Hassan  behind  him,  and 
proceeded  with  him  for  the  space 
of  three  days  with  their  nights, 
like  the  blinding  lightning,  until  he 
came  to  a  vast,  blue  mountain,  all 
the  stones  of  which  were  blue  ;  and 
in  that  mountain  was  a  cavern, 
which  had  a  door  of  iron  of  China. 
do  this  the  sheikh  took  the  hand 
■  Hassan,  and  put  him  down ;  after 
hich  the  sheikh  himself  alighted, 
;d  dismissed  the  elephant.  He 
.en  advanced  to  the  door  of  the 
cavern,  and  knocked  it;  whereup- 
on the  door  opened,  and  there  came 
forth  to  him  a  black  slave,  beard- 
less, resembling  an  Afrite,  and  hav- 
ing in  his  right  hand  a  sword,  and 
in  the  other  a  sh'eld  of  steel.  But  when  he  saw  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus, 
he  threw  down  the  sword  and  sh'eld  from  his  hands,  and  advanced  to  the 
s!  a'   1  kissed  his  hand.     Then  the  sheikh  took  the  hand  of  Hassan 

aim  <  '1  with  him,  and  the  slave  shut  the  door  behind  them.     Hassan 

saw  it  the  cavern  was  very  large  and  wide,  and  that  it  had  a  passage 
vai  d  over ;  and  they  ceased  not  to  go  on  for  the  space  of  a  mile,  after 
which  their  course  brought  them  at  last  to  a  vast  desert.  They  repaired 
to  an  ana;le  in  which  were  two  great  doors,  of  cast  brass,  and  the  Sheikh 
Abdelcadus  opened  one  of  them,  and  entered,  and  closed  it,  having  said  to 
Hassan,  Sit  at  this  door,  and  beware  of  opening  it  and  entering  until  I  shall 
have  entered  and  returned  to  thee  quickly.  And  when  the  sheikh  had  en- 
tered, he  remained  absent,  for  the  space  of  an  astronomical  hour. 

He  then  came  forth,  having  with  him  a  horse,  saddled  and  bridled,  which, 

when  he  went  along,  flew;  and  when  he  flew,  the  dust  overtook  him  not. 

The  sheikh  led  him  forward  to  Hassan,  and  said,  Mount.     And  the  sheikh 

opened  the  other  door ;  whereupon  there  appeared  within  it  an  extensive 

37G 


The  elephant  at  the  entrance  of  the  cavern. 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

desert.  So  Hassan  mounted  the  horse,  and  the  two  passed  through  the 
door,  aud  were  in  that  desert.  And  the  sheikh  said  to  Hassan,  O  my  son, 
take  this  letter,  and  proceed  upon  this  horse  to  the  place  to  which  he  will 
convey  thee  ;  and  when  thou  seest  him  stop  at  the  door  of  a  cavern  like 
this,  descend  from  his  back,  and  put  his  rein  upon  the  pommel,  and  dismiss 
him,  and  he  will  enter  the  cavern  ;  but  enter  not  thou  with  him.  Stay  at 
the  door  of  the  cavern  for  the  space  of  five  days,  and  be  not  weary  ;  for  on 
the  sixth  day  there  will  come  forth  to  thee  a  black  sheikh,  clad  in  black  ap- 
parel, and  with  a  beard  white  and  long,  descending  to  his  waist ;  and  when 
thou  seest  him,  kiss  his  hands,  and  lay  hold  of  his  skirt,  and  put  it  on  thy 
head,  and  weep  before  him,  that  he  may  have  pity  on  thee.  He  will  there- 
upon ask  thee  respecting  thine  affair;  and  when  he  saith  to  thee,  What  is 
thine  affair?  give  him  this  letter,  and  he  will  take  it  of  thee  and  will  not 
speak  to  thee,  but  will  enter  and  leave  thee.  Stay  in  thy  place  five  days 
more,  and  be  not  weary,  and  on  the  sixth  day  expect  him  ;  for  [perhaps]  he 
will  come  forth  to  thee ;  and  if  he  himself  come  forth  to  thee,  know  that 
thine  affair  will  be  accomplished  ;  but  if  one  of  his  young  men  come  forth  to 
thee,  know  that  he  who  hath  come  forth  to  thee  desireth  to  slay  thee. 
And  peace  be  on  thee  !  But  know,  O  my  son,  that  every  one  who  expos- 
eth  himself  to  peril  destroyeth  himself;  therefore,  if  thou  fear  for  thy  soul, 
cast  it  not  into  destruction  ;  if,  however,  thou  fear  not,  do  as  thou  desirest. 
I  have  shown  thee  the  circumstances  of  the  case ;  and  if  thou  desire  to  re- 
turn to  thy  companions,  this  elephant  is  ready,  and  he  will  convey  thee  to 
the  daughters  of  my  brother,  who  will  send  thee  to  thy  country  and  restore 
thee  to  thy  home,  and  God  will  bless  thee  with  one  better  than  this  damsel 
to  whom  thou  art  attached.        ' 

But  Hassan  said  to  the  sheikh,  How  can  life  be  pleasant  to  me  without 
my  attaining  my  desire  ?  By  Allah,  I  will  never  return  until  I  find  my  be- 
loved, or  my  death  overtake  me  !  Then  he  wept,  and  recited  some  verses, 
commencing  thus  : 

For  the  loss  of  my  beloved,  and  the  excess  of  my  passion,  I  stood  and  cried  out  in 

my  despondency  and  abjection; 
And  I  kissed  the  dust  of  the  house,  in  my  longing  for  her ;  but  it  only  served  to 

augment  my  sorrow. 

And  when  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  heard  his  recitation  and  his  words,  he 
knew  that  he  would  not  relinquish  the  object  of  his  desire,  and  that  words 
would  make  no  impression  upon  him,  and  he  was  convinced  that  he  must 
expose  himself  to  peril,  though  his  life  should  be  sacrificed.  So  he  said, 
Know,  O  my  son,  that  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak  are  seven  islands,  in  which 
is  a  great  army,  entirely  composed  of  damsels,  virgins;  aud  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Interior  Islands  are  devils,  and  marids,  and  enchanters,  and  various 
tribes.  Whosoever  entereth  their  country  returneth  not,  and  no  one  ever 
went  to  them  and  returned.  I  conjure  thee,  therefore,  by  Allah,  that  thou 
return  to  thy  family  soon.  Know,  moreover,  that  the  damsel  whom  thou 
seekest  is  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  all  these  islands  ;  and  how  canst  thou 
gain  access  to  her  ?  Hear,  then,  my  words,  O  my  son  ;  and  perhaps  God 
will  give  thee  in  her  stead  one  better  than  she.  But  Hassan  replied,  By 
Allah,  O  my  master,  were  I  cut  piecemeal  for  my  love  of  her,  I  should  only 
increase  in  fondness  and  desire.  I  must  see  my  wife  and  my  children,  and 
enter  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak ;  and  if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name 
be  exalted  !),  I  will  not  return  save  with  her  and  with  my  children.     So  the 

377 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

Sheikh  Abdelcadus  said  to  him,  Then  thou  must  perform  the  journey. 
He  replied,  Yes;  and  I  only  desire  of  thee  thy  prayers  for  help  and  aid. 
Perhaps  God  will  reunite  me  to  ray  wife  and  my  children  soon.  Then  he 
wept  by  reason  of  the  greatness  of  his  desire,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

You  are  my  desire,  and  the  best  of  creatures.     I  hold  you  to  be  as  dear  as  my 

hearing  and  my  sight. 
You  have  possessed  my  heart,  and  it  hath  become  your  abode ;  and  since  you  left 

me,  O  my  mistress,  1  have  been  in  trouble. 
Then  think  not  that  I  have  relinquished  the  love  of  you;  for  it  hath  put  the  wretched 

being  in  fear. 
You  have  gone,  and  my  happiness  went  when  you  departed,  and  what  was  bright 

became  to  me  obscure  in  the  extreme. 
You  have  left  me  to  contemplate  the  stars  in  my  anguish,  weeping  with  tears  like 

a  pouring  rain. 
O  night,  thou  art  tedious  to  him  who  is  disquieted,  in  the  violence  of  his  passion 

gazing  at  the  moon  ! 
O  wind,  if  thou  pass  by  the  tribe  that  she  sojourneth  with,  give  my  salutation  to 

her ;  for  my  life  is  short  ; 
And  describe  to  her  somewhat  of  the  anguish  I  experience  ;  for  the  beloved  is  not 

acquainted  with  my  state  ! 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  wept  so  violently  that  he  fainted; 
and  on  his  recovery,  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  thou 
hast  a  mother  :  then  make  her  not  to  taste  the  pain  of  thy  loss.  But  Has- 
san replied,  By  Allah,  O  my  master,  I  will  not  return  save  with  my  wife, 
or  my  death  shall  overtake  me.  Then  he  wept  and  moaned,  and  again  re- 
cited some  verses  ;  and  when  he  had  ended  them,  the  sheikh  knew  that  he 
would  not  draw  back  from  his  present  purpose,  though  his  life  should  be 
sacrificed ;  wherefore  he  handed  to  him  the  letter,  prayed  for  him,  and  di- 
rected him  how  he  should  act,  and  said  to  him,  I  have  given  a  strict  charge 
for  thee,  in  the  letter,  to  Aboulruish  the  son  of  Balkis  the  daughter  of  the 
accursed  Eblis;  for  he  is  my  sheikh  and  my  preceptor,  and  all  mankind  and 
the  Genii  humble  themselves  to  him,  and  fear  him.  He  then  said  to  him, 
Go,  in  reliance  upon  the  blessing  of  God. 

He  therefore  departed,  giving  the  rein  to  the  horse,  which  fled  with  him 
more  rapidly  than  lightning.  Hassan  ceased  not  to  speed  along  on  the 
horse  for  a  period  of  ten  days,  untif  he  beheld  before  him  a  huge,  indistinct 
object,  blacker  than  night,  obstructing  the  space  between  the  east  and  the 
west;  and  when  he  drew  near  to  it,  the  horse  neighed  beneath  him;  where- 
upon there  came  together  horses  numerous  as  the  drops  of  rain,  the  num- 
ber of  which  could  not  be  calculated,  nor  was  any  help  for  them  known,  and 
they  began  to  rub  against  Hassan's  horse.  So  Hassan  feared  them  and  was 
terrified ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  proceed,  with  the  horses  around  him,  until 
he  arrived  at  the  cavern  which  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  had  described  to  him, 
when  the  horse  stopped  at  its  entrance,  and  Hassan  alighted  from  him  and 
put  his  rein  upon  his  saddle.  The  horse  then  entered  the  cavern,  and  Has- 
san stopped  at  the  entrance,  as  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  had  ordered  him. 
He  meditated  upon  the  result  of  his  case,  how  it  would  be,  perplexed,  dis- 
tracted, not  knowing  what  would  happen  to  him.  He  continued  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  cavern  five  days  with  their  nights,  sleepless,  mournful,  per- 
plexed, meditating  upon  his  having  parted  from  his  family,  and  home,  and 
companions,  and  friends,  with  weeping  eye  and  mourning  heart.  Then  he 
remembered  his  mother,  and  thought  upon  what  might  happen  to  him,  and 
upon  the  separation  of  his  wife  and  his  children,  and  the  troubles  he  had  suf- 
378 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 


Hassan  met  by  horses  numerous  as  the  drops  of  rain 

fered,  and  recited  some  verses,  which  he  had  not  ended  when  the  Sheikh 
Aboulruish  came  forth  to  him.  He  was  black,  and  clad  in  black  apparel; 
and  when  Hassan  beheld  him,  he  knew  him  by  the  descriptions  which  the 
Sheikh  Abdelcadus  had  given  of  him.  So  he  threw  himself  upon  him,  and 
rubbed  his  cheeks  upon  his  feet,  and,  taking  his  foot,  he  put  it  upon  his 
head,  and  wept  before  him.  The  Sheikh  Aboulruish  therefore  said  to  him, 
What  is  thine  affair,  O  my  son  ?  And  Hassan  stretched  forth  his  hand  with 
the  letter,  and  handed  it  to  the  sheikh,  who  received  it  from  him,  and  enter- 
ed the  cavern,  without  returning  him  a  reply;  and  Hassan  remained  in  his 
place  at  the  entrance,  as  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  had  desired  him,  weeping. 
He  ceased  not  to  stay  in  his  place  for  the  space  of  five  days  more.  His 
disquietude  was  excessive,  and  his  fear  was  violent,  and  his  sleeplessness 
was  constant.  He  wept,  and  was  oppressed  in  mind  by  the  pain  of  estrange- 
ment and  excessive  wakefulness,  and  recited  some  plaintive  verses. 

He  ceased  not  to  weep  until  the  dawn  appeared,  when  lo,  the  Sheikh 
Aboulruish  came  forth  to  him,  clad  in  white  apparel,  and  made  a  sign  to 
lii in  with  his  hand  that  he  should  enter.  So  Hassan  entered,  and  the 
sheikh,  taking  him  by  the  hand,  led  him  into  the  cavern;  and  he  rejoiced, 
and  felt  sure  that  his  affair  Would  be  accomplished.  The  sheikh  continued 
to  proceed,  and  Hassan  with  him,  for  the  space  of  half  a  day  ;  after  which 
they  arrived  al  an  arched  door-way  with  a  door  of  steel,  which  the  sheikh 
opened,  and  he  and  Hassan  entered  a  passage  vaulted  over  with  variegated 
Stones  decorated  with  gold.  They  ceased  not  to  go  on  till  they  came  to  a 
great  saloon  constructed  with  marble,  and  spacious,  in  the  midst  of  which 

379 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

was  a  garden  containing  all  kinds  of  trees,  and  flowers,  and  fruits,  and  birds 
upon  the  trees  warbling,  and  proclaiming  the  perfection  of  God,  the  Om- 
nipotent King.  In  the  saloon  were  four  leewans,  facing  one  another,  each 
leewan  having  a  sitting-place  with  a  fountain,  and  at  each  of  the  corners 
of  each  fountain  was  the  figure  of  a  lion  of  gold.  In  each  sitting-place,  also, 
was  a  chair,  upon  which  was  sitting  a  person  with  a  great  number  of  books 
before  him,  and  before  them  were  perfuming  vessels  of  gold,  containing 
fire  and  incense.  Every  one  of  these  sheikhs,  likewise,  had  before  him 
students,  reading  to  him  the  books.  And  when  the  two  went  in  to  them, 
they  rose  to  them  and  treated  them  with  honor  ;  and  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish 
accosted  them,  and  made  a  sign  to  those  four  sheikhs  that  they  should  dis- 
miss the  other  persons  who  were  present.  So  they  dismissed  them,  and 
the  four  sheikhs  arose  and  seated  themselves  before  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish, 
and  asked  him  respecting  the  case  of  Hassan;  whereupon  the  Sheikh 
Aboulruish  made  a  sign  to  Hassan,  and  said  to  him,  Tell  the  company  thy 
story,  and  all  that  hath  happened  to  thee  from  the  first  of  the  case  to  the 
last.  And  Hassan  wept  violently,  and  related  to  them  his  story  ;  and 
when  he  had  finished  it  all  the  sheikhs  cried  out  and  said,  Is  this  he  whom 
the  Magian  caused  to  ascend  to  the  top  of  the  Mountain  of  the  Clouds  by 
means  of  the  birds,  he  being  in  the  skin  of  the  camel  ?  So  Hassan 
answered  them,  Yes.  And  they  accosted  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish,  and  said 
to  him,  O  our  sheikh,  Bahram  practiced  a  stratagem  to  effect  his  ascent  to 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  how  did  he  descend,  and  what  wonders  did 
he  see  upon  the  mountain  ?  The  Sheikh  Aboulruish  therefore  said,  O 
Hassan,  tell  them  how  thou  descendedst,  and  acquaint  them  with  the 
wonders  that  thou  sawest.  Accordingly,  he  repeated  to  them  the  account 
of  the  events  that  had  happened  to  him  from  beginning  to  end,  and  told 
them  how  he  got  the  Magian  into  his  power  and  slew  him,  and  how  his 
wife  had  acted  perfidiously  to  him,  and  taken  his  children  and  flown  away, 
and  all  the  horrors  and  difficulties  that  he  had  suffered.  And  the  persons 
present  wondered  at  the  things  that  had  happened  to  him. 

They  then  accosted  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish,  and  said  to  him,  O  sheikh 
of  the  sheikhs,  by  Allah,  this  young  man  is  a  pitiable  person;  and  perhaps 
thou  wilt  assist  him  to  deliver  his  wife  and  his  children.  The  Sheikh 
Aboulruish  replied,  O  my  brothers,  verily  this  is  a  great  and  perilous  affair, 
and  I  have  not  seen  any  one  hate  life  except  this  young  man.  Ye  know 
that  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak  are  difficult  of  access  :  no  one  ever  arrived 
at  them  without  exposing  himself  to  peril ;  and  ye  know  the  strength  of 
their  inhabitants  and  their  guards.  I  have  sworn  that  I  will  not  tread  their 
country,  nor  oppose  myself  to  them  in  aught ;  and  how  can  this  person 
gain  access  to  the  daughter  of  the  supreme  king,  and  who  can  convey  him 
to  her,  or  assist  him  to  attain  this  object  ?  Upon  this  they  said,  O  sheikh 
of  the  sheikhs,  verily  desire  hath  almost  consumed  this  man,  and  he  hath 
exposed  himself  to  peril,  and  brought  to  thee  the  letter  of  thy  brother,  the 
Sheikh  Abdelcadus :  therefore  it  is  incumbent  on  thee  to  assist  him. 
Then  Hassan  arose  and  kissed  the  foot  of  Aboulruish,  and,  lifting  up  his 
skirt,  put  it  on  his  head,  and  wept,  and  said  to  him,  I  conjure  thee  by 
Allah  tliat  thou  unite  me  with  my  children  and  my  wife,  though  the  doing 
so  occasion  the  loss  of  my  life  and  soul!  And  the  persons  present  wept 
at  his  weeping,  and  said  to  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish,  Acquire  the  recom- 
pense that  will  be  granted  for  this  poor  man  ;  and  act  kindly  with  him  for 
380 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

the  sake  of  thy  brother  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus.  So  he  replied,  Verily 
this  young  man  is  a  pitiable  person,  and  he  knoweth  not  what  he  is  under- 
taking ;  but  we  will  assist  him  as  far  as  possible.  Hassan  therefore  re- 
joiced when  he  heard  his  words,  and  kissed  his  hands.  He  kissed  also 
the  hands  of  the  other  persons  who  were  present,  one  after  another,  and 
begged  their  aid.  And  thereupon  Aboulruish  took  a  paper  and  an  ink- 
case,  and  wrote  a  letter,  and  sealed  it,  and  gave  it  to  Hassan.  He  likewise 
gave  him  a  small  bag  of  leather,  containing  incense  and  instruments  for 
striking  fire,  consisting  of  a  steel  and  other  things  ;  and  said  to  him,  Take 
care  of  this  bag  ;  and  when  thou  fallest  into  a  difficulty,  burn  a  little  of  the 
incense  that  it  containeth,  and  mention  me  ;  and  I  will  be  present  with 
thee,  and  deliver  thee  from  the  difficulty.  Then  he  ordered  one  of  those 
who  were  present  to  summon  to  him  an  Afrite  of  the  Flying  Genii  im- 
mediately ;  and  he  came ;  and  the  skeikh  said  to  him,  What  is  thy  name  ? 
He  answered,  Thy  slave  is  Dahuash  the  son  of  Faktash.  And  Aboulruish 
said  to  him,  Draw  near  to  me.  So  he  drew  near  to  him  ;  and  the  Sheikh 
Aboulruish  put  his  mouth  to  the  ear  of  the  Afrite,  and  said  to  him  some 
words  ;  whereat  the  Afrite  shook  his  head.  The  sheikh  then  said  to 
Hassan,  O  my  son,  arise,  mount  upon  the  shoulders  of  this  Afrite,  Dahnash 
the  Flyer ;  but  when  he  hath  taken  thee  up  to  heaven,  and  thou  heurest 
the  praises  of  the  angels  in  the  sky,  utter  not  thou  any  words  of  praise  ; 
for  if  thou  do,  thou  wilt  perish,  and  so  will  he.  And  Hassan  replied,  I 
will  never  speak.  Then  the  sheikh  said  to  him,  O  Hassan,  when  he  hath 
gone  with  thee,  he  will  put  thee  down  on  the  next  day,  a  little  before  day- 
break, upon  a  white,  clean  land,  like  camphor ;  and  when  he  hath  put 
thee  there,  walk  on  ten  days  by  thyself,  until  thou  arrivest  at  the  gate  of 
the  city.  On  thine  arrival  at  it,  enter,  and  ask  for  its  king ;  and  when 
thou  hast  an  interview  with  him,  salute  him,  and  kiss  his  hand,  and  give 
him  this  letter;  and  whatsoever  he  directeth  thee  to  do,  understand  it. 
So  Hassan  replied,  1  hear  and  obey.  He  arose  with  the  Afrite,  and  the 
sheikhs  arose  and  prayed  for  him,  and  gave  the  Afrite  a  charge  respecting 
him. 

Now  when  the  Afrite  had  taken  him  upon  his  shoulders,  he  rose  with 
him  to  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  proceeded  with  him  a  day  and  a  night, 
until  he  heard  the  praises  of  the  angels  in  heaven;  and  when  the  dawn 
came,  he  put  him  down  upon  a  land  white  like  camphor,  and  left  him  and 
departed.  So  when  Hassan  saw  that  he  was  upon  the  earth,  and  that  no 
one  was  with  him,  he  went  on  night  and  day  for  the  space  of  ten  days, 
until  he  arrived  at  the  gate  of  the  city ;  whereupon  he  entered  it.  and  in- 
quired for  the  king.  They  therefore  guided  him  to  him,  and  said  that  his 
name  was  the  King  Hasoun,  King  of  the  Land  of  Camphor,  and  that  he 
had,  of  soldiers  and  troops,  what  would  fill  the  earth  in  its  length  and 
breadth.  He  asked  permission  to  go  in  to  him,  and  permission  was  given 
him;  and  when  he  went  in  to  him,  he  found  him  to  be  a  magnificent  king; 
and  he  kissed  the  ground  before  him.  So  the  king  said  to  him,  What  is 
thine  affair?  And  Hassan  kissed  the  letter,  and  handed  it  to  him ;  and  he 
took  it  and  lend  it.  Then  he  shook  his  head  a  while  ;  alter  which  he  said 
to  one  of  his  chief  officers,  Take  this  young  man,  and  lodge  him  in  the 
Mansion  of  Entertainment.  Accordingly,  he  took  him  and  proceeded  with 
him  until  he  had  lodged  him  there,  and  he  remained  in  it  for  a  period  of 
three  days,  eating  and  drinking,  having  no  one  with  him  but  the  eunuch 

381 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


' 


m 


Hassau  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  AtVite  Dahnash. 

who  attended  him  ;  and  that  eunuch  conversed  with  him  and  cheered  him, 
and  asked  him  respecting  his  story,  and  how  he  had  come  to  this  country  ; 
wherefore  he  acquainted  him  with  all  that  had  happened  to  him,  and  all 
his  state.  After  that,  on  the  fourth  day,  the  young  man  took  him  and 
brought  him  before  the  king  ;  and  he  said  to  him.  O  Hassan,  thou  hast  come 
unto  me,  desiring  to  enter  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak,  as  the  sheikh  of  the 
sheikhs  hath  mentioned  to  us.  O  my  son,  I  will  send  thee  during  these 
days ;  but  in  thy  way  are  many  dangerous  places,  and  thirsty  deserts 
abounding  with  fearful  spots.  Be  patient,  however,  and  naught  but  good 
will  happen.  I  must  employ  a  stratagem,  and  cause  thee  to  attain  thy 
wish,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  Know,  O  my  son, 
that  here  are  soldiers  of  Dilem  desiring  to  enter  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak, 
fitted  out  with  arms,  and  horses,  and  accouterments,  and  they  have  not  been 
able  to  enter.  But,  O  my  son,  for  the  sake  of  the  sheikh  of  the  sheikhs, 
382 


STQBY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

Abonlruish  the  son  of  the  daughter  of  the  accursed  Eblis,  I  can  not  send 
thee  back  to  him  without  thy  having  accomplished  thine  affair.  Soon  there 
will  come  to  us  ships  from  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak :  there  remaineth  not 
before  their  arrival  more  than  a  short  time  ;  and  when  one  of  them  hath 
come,  I  will  embark  thee  in  it,  and  will  charge  the  sailors  respecting  thee, 
that  they  may  take  care  of  thee  and  convey  thee  to  the  Islands  of  Wak- 
Wak.  Whosoever  asketh  thee  respecting  thy  condition  and  thy  story, 
answer  him,  I  am  a  relation  of  the  King  Hasoun,  Lord  of  the  Land  of 
Camphor.  And  when  the  vessel  mooreth  at  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak, 
and  the  master  saith  to  thee,  Land — do  thou  land.  Thou  wilt  see  many 
settees  in  all  the  quarters  of  the  shore  ;  and  do  thou  choose  for  thyself  one 
of  them,  and  sit  beneath  it,  and  move  not.  And  when  the  night  becoineth 
dark,  and  thou  seest  that  the  army  of  women  hath  surrounded  the  mer- 
chandise, stretch  forth  thy  hand  and  lay  hold  upon  the  owner  of  this  settee 
beneath  which  thou  hast  placed  thyself,  and  beg  her  protection;  and  know, 
O  my  son,  that  if  she  protect  thee,  thou  wilt  accomplish  thine  affair,  and 
wilt  gain  access  to  thy  wife  and  thy  children.  But  if  she  protect  thee  not, 
mourn  for  thyself,  and  despair  of  life,  and  be  sure  of  thy  destruction. 
Know,  O  my  son,  that  thou  art  exposing  thyself  to  peril ;  and  I  can  not  do 
for  thee  aught  but  this.  And  peace  be  on  thee  !  Know,  also,  that  if  aid 
had  not  been  granted  thee  by  the  Lord  of  heaven,  thou  hadst  not  gained 
access  hither. 

When  Hassan  heard  these  words  of  the  King  Hasoun,  he  wrept  until  he 
fainted ;  and  on  his  recovering,  he  recited  these  two  verses  : 

A  decreed  term  is  my  certain  lot;  and  when  its  days  have  ended,  I  die. 
If  the  lions  contended  with  me  in  their  forests,  I  should  vanquish  them  if  aught  of 
my  term  remained. 

And  after  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  kissed  the  ground  before  the  king, 
and  said  to  him,  O  great  king,  how  many  days  remain  to  the  time  when  the 
ships  will  come  ?  He  answered,  The  period  of  a  month ;  and  they  will 
remain  here  for  the  sale  of  their  cargoes  a  period  of  two  months;,  then  they 
will  return  to  their  country  ;  so  hope  not  to  make  thy  voyage  in  the  ship 
save  after  three  whole  months.  The  king  then  commanded  Hassan  to  re- 
turn to  the  Mansion  of  Entertainment,  and  gave  orders  to  carry  to  him  all 
that  he  required,  of  food,  and  drink,  and  apparel,  such  as  was  lit  for  kings. 
He  remained  in  the  Mansion  of  Entertainment  a  month  ;  and  after  the 
month  the  ships  came.  The  king  and  the  merchants  therefore  went  forth, 
and  he  took  Hassan  with  him  to  the  ships.  And  he  saw  a  ship  in  which 
were  many  people,  like  the  pebbles :  none  knew  their  number  but  He  who 
created  them.  That  ship  was  in  1  lie  midst  of  the  sea,  and  had  small  boats 
transporting  the  goods  that  it  contained  to  the  shore.  Hassan  stayed  with 
them  until  the  crew  had  removed  the  goods  from  it  to  the  shore,  and  sold 
and  bought,  and  there  remained  not  to  the  time  of  departure  more  than 
three  days;  whereupon  the  king  summoned  Hassan  before  him,  prepared 
for  him  what  he  required,  and  conferred  upon  him  great  favors.  Then, 
after  that,  he  called  lor  the  master  of  that  ship,  and  said  to  him,  Take  this 
young  man  with  thee  in  the  ship,  and  acquaint  no  one  with  him;  convey 
him  to  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak.  and  leave  him  there,  and  bring  him  not 
back.  And  th<>  master  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  The  king  then  charged 
Hassan,  and  said  to  him.  Acquaint  not  any  one  of  the  persons  with  thee  in 
the  ship  with  aught  of  thv  case,  nor  let  any  one  know  thy  story ;  for  if  thou 

383 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


Sliips  arrived  from  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak. 


do,  thou  wilt  perish.  And  he  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  And  he  bade  him 
farewell,  after  he  had  offered  up  prayers  in  his  favor  for  length  of  life,  and 
victory  over  all  the  enviers  and  enemies;  and  the  king  thanked  him  for 
that,  and  prayed  for  his  safety  and  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  affair. 
He  then  committed  him  to  the  master,  who  took  him  and  put  him  into  a 
chest,  and  embarked  him  in  a  boat;  and  he  took  him  not  forth  in  the  ship 
but  when  the  people  were  occupied  in  removing  the  goods. 

After  that  the  ships  departed,  and  they  ceased  not  to  pursue  their  course 
for  the  space  often  days;  and  on  the  eleventh  day  they  reached  the  shore. 
The  master  thereupon  landed  him  from  the  ship ;  and  when  he  went  up 
on  the  shore,  he  saw  there  settees,  the  number  of  which  none  knew  but 
God.  So  he  walked  on  until  he  came  to  a  settee  of  which  there  was  not 
the  like,  and  he  hid  himself  beneath  it.  And  when  the  night  approached, 
there  came  a  numerous  crowd  of  women,  like  scattered  locusts,  advancing 
on  foot,  with  their  swords  drawn  in  their  hands ;  but  they  were  enveloped 
in  coats  of  mail;  and  on  their  seeing  the  goods,  they  busied  themselves  with 
them.  Then,  after  that,  they  sat  to  take  rest,  and  one  of  them  seated  her- 
self upon  the  settee  beneath  which  was  Hassan.  He  therefore  laid  hold 
of  the  edge  of  her  skirt,  put  it  upon  his  head,  and,  throwing  himself  upon 
her,  began  to  kiss  her  hands  and  her  feet,  weeping.  So  she  said  to  him,  O 
thou,  arise  and  stand  up  before  any  one  see  thee  and  slay  thee.  And  there- 
upon he  came  forth  from  beneath  the  settee,  [where  he  had  hidden  him- 
self again],  and  rose  upon  his  feet,  kissed  her  hands,  and  said  to  her,  O  my 
mistress,  I  throw  myself  upon  thy  protection !  Then  he  wept  again,  and 
said  to  her,  Have  mercy  upon  him  who  is  parted  from  his  family,  and  bis 
384 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


wife,  and  his  children,  and  hath  hastened  to  effect  his  reunion  with  them, 
and  exposed  his  life  and  soul  to  peril !  Have  mere}'  upon  me,  and  be  sure 
that  thou  wilt  be  recompensed  for  that  with  Paradise.  Or,  if  thou  wilt 
not  receive  me,  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah,  the  Great,  the  Excellent  Protect- 
or, that  thou  conceal  my  case  !  And  the  merchants  fixed  their  eyes  upon 
him  while  he  spoke  to  her;  and  when  she  heard  his  words,  and  saw  his 
humiliation,  she  had  compassion  upon  him,  her  heart  was  moved  with  pity 
for  him,  and  she  knew  that  he  had  not  exposed  himself  to  peril  and  come 
to  this  place  save  for  a  great  affair.  So  thereupon  she  said  to  Hassan,  O 
my  son,  be  of  good  heart  and  cheerful  eye,  comfort  thy  heart  and  thy  soul, 
and  return  to  thy  place,  and  hide  thyself  beneath  the  settee  as  thou  wast 
at  first  until  the  next  night,  and  God  will  do  what  He  desireth.  Then  she 
bade  him  farewell,  and  Hassan  entered  beneath  the  settee  as  before.  The 
army  passed  the  night,  having  lighted  candles  composed  with  an  admixture 
of  aloes-wood  and  crude  ambergris,  until  the  morning.  And  when  day- 
light came,  the  ships  returned  to  the  shore,  and 
the  merchants  occupied  themselves  with  convey- 
ing the  goods  and  effects  till  night  approached, 
while  Hassan  remained  hidden  beneath  the  settee, 
with  weeping  eye  and  mourning  heart,  not  know- 
ing what  was  secretly  decreed  to  happen  unto  him. 

Now  while  he  was  in  this  state,  lo,  the  female 
merchant  whose  protection  he  had  begged  ap- 
proached him,  and  handed  to  him  a  coat  of  mail, 
and  a  sword,  and  a  gilt  girdle,  and  a  lance ;  after 
which  she  departed  from  him,  fearing  the  troops. 
So  when  he  saw  that,  he  knew  that  the  female 
merchant  had  not  brought  him  these  accouter- 
inents  save  in  order  that  he  should  put  them  on; 
wherefore  he  arose  and  put  on  the  coat  of  mail, 
put  the  girdle  round  his  waist,  hung  on  the  sword 
beneath  his  armpit,  took  the  lance  in  his  hand,  and 
seated  himself  upon  that  settee.  His  tongue  neg- 
lected not  to  repeat  the  praises  of  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !),  and  he  begged  his  protection; 
and  while  he  sat,  lo,  the  cressets,  and  the  lanterns, 
and  the  candles  approached,  and  the  army  of 
women.  Hassan  therefore  arose  and  mixed  among 
the  troops,  having  become  like  one  of  them  ;  and, 
at  the  approach  of  daybreak,  the  troops  proceeded, 
and  Hassan  with  them,  until  they  came  to  their 
tents,  when  each  of  them  entered  her  tent.  Has- 
san also  entered  the  tent  of  one  of  them,  and  lo, 
il  wns  the  tent  of  his  companion,  whose  protection 
he  had  begged.  And  when  she  entered  her  tent, 
she  threw  down  her  arms,  and  pulled  off  the  coat 
of  mail  and  the  veil ;  and  Hassan,  having  thrown 
down  his  arms,  looked  at  his  companion,  and  found 
her  to  be  blue-eyed,  with  a  large  nose  :  she  was 
a  calamity  among  calamities,  of  the  most  hideous 
form  with  a  face  marked  with  small-pox,  and  hair-       Hassan  arming  himself. 

Vol.  II.— R  385 


r 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 

less  eyebrows,  and  broken  teeth,  and  puffed  cheeks,  and  gray  hair,  and  a 
mouth  running  with  saliva;  her  hair  was  falling  off,  and  she  was  like  the 
speckled,  black  and  white  serpent.  Now  when  she  looked  at  Hassan,  she 
wondered,  and  said,  How  could  this  person  gain  access  to  this  country,  and 
in  which  of  the  ships  came  he,  and  how  did  he  arrive  safely  ?  And  she 
proceeded  to  ask  him  respecting  his  case,  and  wondered  at  his  arrival ;  and 
upon  this  Hassan  fell  upon 'her  feet,  rubbing  his  face  upon  them,  and  wept 
until  he  fainted;  and  when  he  recovered,  he  recited  these  verses : 

When  will  time  grant  us  our  meeting,  and  when  shall  we  be  reunited  after  our 

separation, 
And  when  shall  I  enjoy  the  object  of  my  choice,  and  see  reproach  ended,  and  love 

remain  ? 
If  the  Nile  were  to  flow  as  copiously  as  my  tears,  it  would  leave  in  the  world  no 

land  uuwatered  : 
It  would  overflow  the  Hejaz  and  Egypt,  and  Syria  likewise  and  Irak. 
This  is  caused  by  thine  estrangement,  O  my  beloved !     Be  land  to  me,  and  promise 

a  meeting. 

And  after  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  took  the  skirt  of  the  old  woman  and 
put  it  upon  his  head,  and  proceeded  to  weep  and  to  beg  her  protection. 
So  when  the  old  woman  saw  his  ardor,  and  affliction,  and. pain,  and  dis- 
tress, her  heart  was  moved  with  sympathy  for  him,  and  she  granted  him 
protection,  and  said  to  him,  Fear  not  at  all.  Then  she  asked  him  respect- 
ing his  case,  and  he  related  to  her  all  that  had  happened  to  him  from  begin- 
ning to  end ;  and  the  old  woman  wondered  at  his  tale,  and  said  to  him, 
Comfort  thy  heart  and  comfort  thy  soul.  There  remaineth  nothing  for 
thee  to  fear.  Thou  hast  attained  thy  desire  and  the  accomplishment  of 
thine  affair,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted !  Therefore 
Hassan  rejoiced  at  that  exceedingly. 

The  old  woman  then  sent  to  the  leaders  of  the  army,  commanding  them 
to  come  before  her.  This  was  on  the  last  day  of  the  month.  And  when 
they  presented  themselves  before  her,  she  said  to  them,  Go  forth,  and  pro- 
claim among  all  the  troops  that  they  shall  go  forth  to-morrow,  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  that  none  of  them  shall  remain  behind  ;  and  if  any  one  remain 
behind,  that  person's  life  shall  be  taken.  And  they  replied,  We  hear  and 
obey.  They  went  forth,  and  proclaimed  among  all  the  troops  that  they 
should  march  on  the  morrow,  in  the  morning ;  after  which  they  returned, 
and  acquainted  her  therewith.  So  Hassan  knew  that  she  was  the  chief 
of  the  troops,  and  the  person  of  authority  among  them,  and  their  leader. 
Then  Hassan  took  not  off  the  arms  from  his  body  that  day.  The  name 
of  that  old  woman  with  whom  he  had  placed  himself  was  Shawahi,  and 
she  was  surnamed  the  Mother  of  Sorrows.  And  the  old  woman  had  not 
made  an  end  of  her  commanding  and  forbidding  until  the  daybreak  came, 
when  all  the  troops  went  forth  from  their  places  ;  but  the  old  woman  went 
not  forth  with  them.  And  when  the  army  had  gone,  and  the  places  were 
devoid  of  their  presence,  Shawahi  said  to  Hassan,  Draw  near  to  me,  O  my 
son.  So  he  drew  near  to  her,  and  stood  before  her ;  and  she  accosted  him, 
and  said  to  him,  "What  is  the  cause  of  thine  exposure  of  thyself  to  peril, 
and  thine  entering  this  country,  and  how  was  it  that  thy  soul  consented  to 
its  own  destruction  1  Acquaint  me  with  the  truth  of  thy  whole  affair,  and 
conceal  not  from  me  aught  of  it,  nor  fear  thou  ;  for  thou  hast  become  one 
to  whom  I  have  plighted  my  faith,  and  I  have  granted  thee  protection,  and 
had  compassion  upon  thee,  and  pitied  thv  state.  If  thou  inform  me  truly, 
38G 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


I  will  aid  thee  to  accomplish  thine  aflair,  even  if  the  consequence  be  the 
loss  of  lives  and  the  destruction  of  the  sheikhs.  Now  that  thou  hast  come 
unto  me,  no  harm  shall  befall  thee,  nor  will  I  suffer  any  one,  of  all  who  are 
in  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak,  to  do  thee  any  injury.  He  therefore  repeated 
to  her  his  story  from  first  to  last,  telling  her  of  the  affair  of  his  wife,  and 
the  birds,  and  how  he  caught  her  from  among  the  ten,  and  how  he  married 
her,  and  then  resided  with  her  until  he  was  blessed  with  two  sous  by  her, 
and  how  she  took  her  children  and  flew  away  when  she  knew  the  means 
of  obtaining  the  dress  of  feathers;  and  he  concealed  not  aught  of  his  story, 
from  the  commencement  to  that  day. 

So  when  the  old  woman  heard  his  words  she  shook  her  head,  and  said 
to  him.  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  God  who  preserved  thee  and  brought 
thee  hither,  and  caused  thee  to  light  on  me  !  Hadst  thou  lighted  on  any 
except  me,  thy  life  had  been  lost,  and  thine  aflair  had  not  been  accom- 
plished. But  the  honesty  of  thine  intention,  and  thy  love  and  the  excess 
of  thy  desire  for  thy  wife  and  thy  children,  were  the  means  of  enabling 
thee  to  attain  the  object  of  thy  search.  Were  it  not  that  thou  lovest  her, 
and  art  distracted  by  thy  passion  for  her,  thou  hadst  not  thus  exposed  thy- 
self to  peril ;  and  praise  be  to  God  for  thy  safety  !  It  is,  therefore,  in- 
cumbent on  us  to  accomplish  for  thee  thine  aflair,  and  to  aid  thee  to  attain 
the  object  of  thy  desire,  that  thou  mayest  obtain  what  thou  seekest  soon, 
if  it  be  the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted !  But  know,  O  my  son, 
that  thy  wife  is  in  the  seventh  island  of  the 
Islands  of  Wak-Wak,  and  the  distance  be- 
tween us  and  it  is  seven  months'  journey, 
night  and  day.  For  we  proceed  hence  until 
we  arrive  at  a  land  called  the  Land  of  the 
Birds ;  and  by  reason  of  the  vehemence  of 
the   cries  of  the  birds,  and  the  flapping  of 


Land  of  the  Wild  Beasts. 


387 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

then*  wings,  one  of  them  heareth  not  what  another  uttereth.  Then  we 
proceed  over  that  land  for  a  period  of  eleven  days,  night  and  day  ;  after 
which  we  pass  forth  from  it  to  a  land  called  the  Land  of  the  Wild  Beasts ; 
and  by  reason  of  the  vehemence  of  the  cries  of  the  beasts  of  prey,  and  the 
hyenas  and  other  wild  beasts,  and  the  howling  of  the  wolves  and  the  roar- 
ing of  the  lions,  we  sball  hear  nothing  else.  We  journey  over  that  land 
for  the  space  of  twenty  days,  and  then  pass  forth  from  it  to  a  land  called 
the  Laud  of  the  Genii,  where,  by  reason  of  the  vehemence  of  the  cries  of 
the  Genii,  and  the  rising  of  the  (lames,  and  the  flying  about  of  the  sparks 
and  the  smoke  from  their  mouths,  and  the  harsh  sounds  from  their  throats, 
and  their  insolence,  they  will  obstruct  the  way  before  us,  and  our  ears  will 
be  deafened,  and  our  eyes  will  be  covered  with  darkness,  so  that  we  shall 
neither  hear  nor  see,  nor  will  any  one  of  us  be  able  to  look  behind  him  ; 
for  by  doing  so  he  would  perish.  In  that  place  the  horseman  will  put  his 
head  upon  the  pommel  of  his  saddle,  and  not  raise  it  for  a  period  of  three 
days.  After  that  there  will  be  before  us  a  vast  mountain  and  a  running 
river,  which  extend  to  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak.  Know  also,  O  my  son, 
that  all  this  army  consisteth  of  damsels,  virgins  ;  and  the  sovereign  who 
ruleth  over  us  is  a  woman  of  the  Seven  Islands  of  Wak-Wak.  The  ex- 
tent of  those  seven  islands  is  a  whole  year's  journey  to  the  rider  who  trav- 
eleth  with  diligence.  On  the  bank  of  this  river  [that  I  have  mentioned]  is 
another  mountain,  called  the  Mountain  of  Wak-Wak  ;  and  this  name  is  the 
proper  appellation  of  a  tree  whose  branches  resemble  the  heads  of  the  sons 
of  Adam  ;  and  when  the  sun  riseth  upon  it,  those  heads  all  cry  out,  saying 
in  their  cry,  Wak !  wak  !  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  the  King,  the  ex- 
cellent Creator  !  So  when  we  hear  their  cry,  we  know  that  the  sun  hath 
risen.  In  like  manner  also,  when  the  sun  setteth,  those  heads  cry  out,  and 
say  in  their  cry  the  same  words,  and  we  know  thereupon  that  the  sun  hath 
set.  No  man  can  reside  with  us,  nor  gain  access  to  us,  nor  tread  our  land ; 
and  between  us  and  the  residence  of  the  queen  who  ruleth  over  this  land 
is  a  journey  of  a  month  from  this  shore.  Also,  all  the  subjects  upon  that 
shore  are  under  the  authority  of  that  queen  ;  and  under  her  authority',  like- 
wise, are  the  tribes  of  the  Genii,  Marids,  and  Devils,  and  under  her  authority 
are  enchanters,  the  number  of  whom  none  knoweth  but  He  who  created 
them.  Now  if  thou  fear,  I  will  send  with  thee  one  who  will  convey  thee 
to  the  coast,  and  I  will  bring  one  who  will  transport  thee  with  him  in  a  ves- 
sel and  convey  thee  to  thy  country.  But  if  it  be  agreeable  to  thy  heart  to 
remain  with  us,  I  will  not  prevent  thee  :  thou  shalt  be  with  me  as  though 
thou  wert  in  my  eye,  until  thou  shalt  accomplish  thine  affair,  if  it  be  the 
will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted ! 

Upon  this  he  said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  I  will  not  quit  thee  until  I  meet 
with  my  wife,  or  my  life  shall  be  lost.  And  she  replied,  This  will  be  an 
easy  affair  :  so  comfort  thy  heart,  and  thou  shalt  attain  thy  desire,  if  it  be 
the  will  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  I  must  acquaint  the  queen  with 
thee,  that  she  may  aid  thee  to  attain  thy  wish.  Hassan  therefore  prayed 
for  her,  and  kissed  her  hands  and  her  head,  and  thanked  her  for  that  which 
she  had  done,  and  for  her  exceeding  kindness.  He  proceeded  with  her, 
meditating  upon  what  might  be  the  result  of  his  case,  and  upon  the  horrors 
of  his  estrangement;  and  he  began  to  weep  and  wail,  reciting  these  verses: 

From  the  place  of  the  beloved  a  zephyr  hath  blown,  and  thou  seest  me,  from  the 
excess  of  my  ecstasy,  distracted. 

388 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSOKA. 

The  night  of  anion  is  like  a  brilliant  morning',  and  the  day  of  separation  like  a 
black  night. 

Taking  leave  of  the  beloved  is  severely  distressing,  aud  the  separation  of  the  com-, 
panion  is  a  heavy  calamity. 

I  will  not  complain  of  her  cruelty  save  to  her.  I  have  not  among  mankind  a 
friendly  relation. 

My  becoming  indifferent  to  you  is  impossible  ;  for  the  despised  censurer  doth  not 
make  my  heart  indifferent. 

O  unparalleled  in  loveliness  !  my  love  is  unparalleled.  O  thou  whose  equal  existeth 
not !  my  heart  existeth  not. 

Whosoever  pretendeth  that  he  loveth  you,  aud  dreadeth  reprehension,  he  is  repre- 
hensible. 

The  old  woman  then  gave  orders  to  beat  the  drum  for  departure,  and  the 
army  proceeded,  Hassan  proceeding  also,  in  company  with  the  old  woman. 
Being  drowned  in  the  sea  of  solicitudes,  he  was  oppressed  in  mind,  and  re- 
cited verses,  while  the  old  woman  exhorted  him  to  be  patient,  and  consol- 
ed him ;  but  he  recovered  not,  nor  attended  to  that  which  she  proposed  to 
him.  They  ceased  not  to  journey  on  until  they  arrived  at  the  first  of  the 
seven  islands,  which  was  the  Island  of  the  Birds ;  and  when  they  entered 
it  Hassan  imagined  that  the  world  was  overturned,  in  consequence  of  the 
vehemence  of  the  cries.  His  head  ached  and  his  mind  was  bewildered,  his 
eyes  were  blinded  and  his  ears  were  stopped,  and  he  feared  violently,  and 
made  sure  of  death,  saying  within  himself,  If  this  is  the  Land  of  the 
Birds,  how  will  be  the  Land  of  the  Wild  Beasts  ?  So  when  the  old  wom- 
an named  Shawahi  saw  him  in  this  state,  she  laughed  at  him,  and  said  to 
him,  O  my  son,  if  this  is  thy  state  in  the  first  island,  how  will  it  be  with 
thee  when  thou  comest  to  the  remaining  islands?  He  therefore  supplica- 
ted God,  and  humbled  himself  to  Him,  and  begged  of  Him  that  He  would 
aid  him  to  bear  up  against  the  affliction  with  which  He  had  visited  him, 
and  that  He  would  cause  him  to  attain  his  desires.  They  continued  their 
journey  until  they  had  traversed  the  Land  of  the  Birds,  and  passed  forth 
from  it  and  entered  the  Land  of  the  Genii ;  and  when  Hassan  beheld  it,  ho 
feared,  and  repented  of  his  having  entered  it  with  them.  Then  he  begged 
aid  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  proceeded  with  them.  And 
they  escaped  from  the  Land  of  the  Genii,  and  arrived  at  the  river,  and, 
alighting  beneath  a  vast,  lofty  mountain,  they  pitched  their  tents  upon  the 
bank  of  the  river.  The  old  woman  placed  for  Hassan  a  couch  of  alabaster, 
set  with  fine  pearls,  and  with  jewels  and  bars  of  red  gold,  by  the  side  of  the 
river.  So  he  seated  himself  upon  it;  and  the  troops  advanced,  and  she 
displayed  them  to  him.  After  that  they  pitched  their  tents  around  him, 
and  rested  a  while.  Then  they  ate  and  drank,  and  slept  in  security  ;  for 
they  had  arrived  at  their  country. 

Now  Hassan  had  put  over  his  face  a  veil,  so  that  naught  of  him  appeared 
save  his  eyes.  And  lo,  a  company  of  the  damsels  walked  near  to  the  tent 
of  Hassan,  and,  having  pulled  off  their  outer  garments,  descended  into,  the 
river.  So  Hassan  kept  looking  at  them  while  they  washed,  and  they  pro- 
ceeded to  play  and  to  divert  themselves,  not  knowing  that  he  was  looking 
at  them;  for  they  imagined  that  he  was  of  the  daughters  of  the  kiljgs. 
Thus  the  whole  army  assembled  before  Hassan  ;  for  the  old  woman  gave 
orders  to  proclaim  among  all  the  troops  that  they  should  assemble  before 
his  tent,  and  display  themselves  and  descend  into  the  river,  thinking  that 
perhaps  his  wife  might  be  among  them,  and  he  would  know  her.  She 
proceeded  to  ask  him  respecting  them,  company  after  company  ;  and  he 

389 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


replied,  She  is  not  among 
these,  O  my  mistress. 
So  the  old  woman  said, 
Describe  her  to  me,  and 
acquaint  me  with  all  her 
characteristics,  that  she 
may  be  in  my  mind  ;  for 
I  know  every  damsel  in 
the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak, 
as  I  am  the  leader  of  the 
army  of  damsels,  and 
their  commander ;  and  if 
thou  describe  her  to  me, 
I  shall  know  her,  and 
will  contrive  means  for 
thy  taking  her.  Accord- 
ingly, he  described  her  to 
her.  And  thereupon  the 
old  woman  hung  down 
her  head  toward  the 
ground  for  some  time  ; 
after  which  she  raised 
her  head  toward  Hassan, 
and  said,  Extolled  be  the 
perfection  of  God,  the 
Great  in  dignity  !  Verily 
I  am  afflicted  in  thee,  O 
Hassan ;  and  would  that 
I  had  not  known  thee ! 
For  the  woman  whom 
thou  hast  described  to 
me,  she  is  thy  wife  indeed 


Damsels  bathing  in  the 
presence  of  Hassan. 


I  have  known  her  by 
her  characteristics,  and  she  is  the  daughter  of  the 
supreme  king,  his  eldest  daughter,  who  ruleth 
over  all  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak.  Therefore 
open  thine  eyes,  and  consider  thine  affair  ;  and  if 
thou  be  asleep,  awake  ;  for  it  is  impossible  for 
thee  ever  to  gain  access  to  her ;  and  if  thou  gain- 
edst  access  to  her,  thou  couldst  not  get  possession 
of  her ;  since  between  thee  and  her  is  like  as  is  between  heaven  and  earth. 
Return,  therefore,  O  my  son,  soon,  and  cast  not  thyself  into  destruction, 
and  me  with  thee ;  for  I  imagine  that  thou  hast  no  lot  in  her.  Return  to 
the  place  whence  thou  hast  come,  lest  our  lives  be  lost.  And  she  feared 
for  herself  and  for  him. 

When  Hassan,  therefore,  heard  the  words  of  the  old  woman,  he  wept 
violently,  so  that  he  fainted;  and  the  old  woman- ceased  not  to  sprinkle 
water  upon  his  face  until  he  recovered  from  his  fit.  He  continued  to  weep 
so  that  he  wetted  his  clothes  with  his  tears,  by  reason  of  the  excessive  anx- 
iety and  grief  that  had  come  upon  him  in  consequence  of  the  words  of  the 
old  woman,  and  he  despaired  of  life.  Then  he  said  to  the  old  woman,  O 
my  mistress,  and  how  can  I  return  after  I  have  got  hither  ?  I  did  not  im- 
390 


STORY  01    HASSAN  UF  BALSORA. 

ngine  in  my  mind  that  thou  wast  unable  to  accomplish  my  desire,  especially 
because  thou  art  the  leader  of  the  army  of  damsels,  and  their  commander. 
To  this  she  replied,  I  conjure  thee,  by  Allah,  O  my  son,  that  thou  choose 
for  thyself  a  damsel  from  among  these  damsels,  and  I  will  give  her  to  thee 
instead  of  thy  wife,  lest  thou  fall  into  the  hand  of  the  kings,  and  I  shall  have 
no  means  of  releasing  thee.  By  Allah,  I  conjure  thee  that  thou  hear  my 
words,  and  choose  for  thyself  one  of  these  damsels  instead  of  that  damsel, 
and  return  to  thy  country  soon  in  safety,  and  make  me  not  to  drink  thine 
anguish  [by  witnessing  thy  death].  By  Allah,  thou  hast  cast  thyself  into 
a  severe  calamity  and  great  peril,  from  which  no  one  can  deliver  thee. 
So  thereupon  Hassan  hung  down  his  head  and  wept  violently,  and  he  re- 
cited some  verses,  commencing  thus  : 

I  said  to  my  censurers,  Do  not  censure  me;  for  naught  but  tears  were  mine  eye- 
lids created. 

The  tears  of  mine  eye  have  overflowed  and  inundated  my  cheek,  and  my  beloved 
hath  treated  me  with  cruelty. 

And  when. he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  wept  again  until  he  fainted,  and  the 
old  woman  ceased  not  to  sprinkle  water  upon  his  face  till  he  recovered  from 
his  fit ;  when  she  addressed  him,  and  said,  O  my  master,  return  to  thy  coun- 
try ;  for  if  I  go  with  thee  to  the  city,  thy  life  and  mine  will  be  lost ;  as  the 
queen,  when  she  knoweth  thereof,  will  blame  me  for  coming  with  thee  into 
her  country  and  her  islands,  to  which  no  one  of  the  sons  of  Adam  cometh, 
and  she  will  slay  me  because  of  my  having  brought  thee  with  me  and  given 
thee  a  sight  of  these  virgins  whom  thou  hast  seen  in  the  river,  although  no 
male  hath  touched  them,  nor  a  husband  approached  them.  So  Hassan 
swore  that  he  had  never  looked  at  them  with  an  evil  glance.  But  she  re- 
joined, O  my  son,  return  to  thy  country,  and  I  will  give  thee  wealth  and 
treasures,  and  rarities  on  account  of  which  thou  shnlt  become  indifferent  to 
all  women.  Hear,  then,  my  words,  and  return  soon,  and  expose  not  thy- 
self to  peril ;  for  I  have  given  thee  good  advice.  When  Hassan,  however, 
heard  her  words,  he  wept,  and  rubbed  his  cheeks  upon  her  feet,  and  said, 

0  my  mistress  and  my  lady,  and  delight  of  my  eye,  how  can  I  return  after 

1  have  come  to  this  place  without  seeing  her  whom  I  desire,  and  have  ap- 
proached the  abode  of  the  beloved,  and  hoped  to  meet  her  soon,  and  when, 
perhaps,  I  may  have  the  good  fortune  to  be  reunited  with  her?  Then  he 
recited  some  verses ;  and  when  he  had  ended  them,  the  old  woman  pitied 
him  and  had  compassion  on  him,  and,  addressing  him  kindly,  she  comfort- 
ed his  heart,  and  said  to  him,  Let  thy  soul  be  happy  and  thine  eye  be  cheer- 
ful, and  let  thy  mind  be  free  from  anxiety.  By  Allah,  I  will  expose  my 
soul  to  peril  with  thee  until  thou  shalt  attain  thy  desire,  or  my  death  shall 
overtake  me  ! 

So  the  heart  of  Hassan  was  comforted,  his  bosom  became  dilated,  and 
he  sat  conversing  with  the  old  woman  until  the  close  of  the  day;  and  when 
the  night  approached,  all  the  damsels  became  dispersed  ;  some  of  them  en- 
tered their  palaces  in  the  city,  and  some  passed  the  night  in  the  tents.  Tho 
old  woman  then  took  Hassan  with  her,  and  conducted  him  into  the  city, 
and  she  appropriated  to  him  a  place  for  himself  alone,  lest  any  one  should 
become  acquainted  with  him  and  inform  the  queen  of  him,  and  she  should 
slay  him  and  the  bringer  of  him.  She  served  him  herself,  and  inspired  him 
with  fear  of  the  authority  of  the  supreme  king,  the  father  of  his  wife; 
and  ho  wept  before  her,  and  said,  O  my  mistress,  I  choose  death  for  my- 

391 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

self,  and  hate  the  world,  if  I  be  not  reunited  with  my  wife  and  my  chil- 
dren :  so  I  will  expose  my  life  to  peril,  and  either  I  shall  attain  my  desire, 
or  else  I  shall  die.  And  the  old  woman  proceeded  to  meditate  upon  the 
mode  of  effecting  his  union  and  interview  with  his  wife,  and  what  strata- 
gem should  be  employed  in  the  case  of  this  poor  man,  who  had  cast  his  soul 
into  destruction,  and  would  not  be  restrained  from  pursuing  the  object  of 
his  desire  by  fear  nor  by  any  thing  else.  He  had  become  indifferent  to 
himself;  and  the  author  of  the  proverb  saith,  The  enamored  heareth  not 
the  words  of  one  who  is  free  from  love.  The  damsel  above  mentioned  wa3 
queen  of  the  island  in  which  they  then  were,  and  her  name  was  Nour 
Elhada.  This  queen  had  six  sisters,  virgins,  residing  with  their  father,  the 
supreme  king,  who  was  ruler  of  the  seven  islands  and  the  districts  of  Wak- 
Wak,  and  the  seat  of  government  of  that  king  was  in  the  greatest  of  the 
cities  of  that  country.  His  eldest  daughter,  Nour  Elhada,  was  ruler  over 
that  city  in  which  Hassan  was,  and  over  all  its  districts. 

Now  the  old  woman,  when  she  saw  Hassan  burning  with  desire  to  meet 
with  his  wife  and  his  children,  arose  and  repaired  to  the  palace  of  the  Queen 
Nour  Elhada,  and  went  in  to  her,  and  kissed  the  ground  before  her'.  The  old 
woman  had  a  claim  upon  her  for  favor,  because  she  had  reared  all  the  daugh- 
ters of  the  king,  and  she  had  authority  over  them  all,  and  was  held  in  honor 
by  them,  and  was  dear  unto  the  king.  So  when  she  went  in  to  the  Queen 
Nour  Elhada,  the  queen  rose  to  her  and  embraced  her,  seated  her  by  her  side, 
and  asked  her  respecting  her  journey.  She  therefore  answered  her,  By  Al- 
lah, O  my  mistress,  it  was  a  blessed  journey,  and  I  have  brought  for  thee 
with  me  a  present  which  I  will  place  before  thee.  Then  she  said  to  her,  O 
my  daughter,  O  queen  of  the  age  and  time,  1  have  brought  with  me  a  won- 
derful thing,  and  I  desire  to  show  it  to  thee,  in  order  that  thou  mayest  aid 
me  to  accomplish  what  it  requireth.  And  what  is  it?  said  the  queen.  So 
she  acquainted  her  with  the  story  of  Hassan  from  its  beginning  to  its  end. 
She  trembled  like  the  reed  in  the  day  of  the  stormy  wind,  until  she  fell 
down  before  the  daughter  of  the  king,  and  said  to  her,  O  my  mistress,  a 
person  implored  my  protection  upon  the  coast,  and  he  was  hidden  be- 
neath the  settee,  and  I  granted  him  protection,  and  brought  him  with  me 
'sinong  the  army  of  damsels,  he  being  armed,  that  no  one  might  know  him, 
and  1  conducted  him  into  the  city.  Then  she  said  to  her,  And  I  inspired 
him  with  fear  of  thy  authority,  and  acquainted  him  with  thy  valor  and  thy 
power ;  but  as  often  as  I  threatened  him,  he  wept,  and  recited  verses,  and 
he  said  to  me,  I  must  regain  my  wife  and  my  children,  or  I  will  die,  and  I 
will  not  return  to  my  country  without  them.  He  hath  exposed  himself  to 
peril,  and  come  to  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak  ;  and  I  have  not  seen  in  my  life 
a  human  being  more  strong  of  heart  than  he,  nor  any  of  greater  valor  ;  but 
love  hath  gained  the  utmost  ascendency  over  him.  When  the  queen,  how- 
ever, heard  her  words,  and  understood  the  case  of  Hassan,  she  was  violently 
enraged,  and  hung  down  her  head  for  a  while  toward  the  ground.  Then 
she  raised  her  head,  and,  looking  at  the  old  woman,  said  to  her,  O  ill-omen- 
ed old  woman,  hath  thy  wickedness  occasioned  thee  to  convey  males,  and 
conduct  them  to  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak,  and  bring  them  in  unto  me  without 
fearing  my  authority  ?  By  the  head  of  the  king,  were  it  not  for  the  claim 
thou  hast  upon  me  on  account  of  thy  having  reared  me,  I  would  slay  thee 
and  him  this  instant  in  the  most  abominable  manner,  that  the  travelers 
might  be  admonished  by  thine  example,  O  accursed  woman,  lest  any  one 
392 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 

else  should  do  the  like  of  this  egregious  deed  which  thou  hast  done,  and 
which  none  was  able  to  do  before  !  But  go  forth  and  bring  him  this  instant, 
that  1  may  see  him. 

The  old  woman,  therefore,  went  forth  from  before  her,  confounded,  not 
knowing  whither  to  go,  and  saying,  All  this  calamity  hath  God  sent  upon 
me  from  this  queen  by  means  of  Hassan !  She  proceeded  until  she  went 
in  to  Hassan,  when  she  said  to  him,  Arise,  answer  the  summons  of  the 
queen,  O  thou  whose  last  day  hath  drawn  near !  So  he  arose  with  her, 
his  tongue  ceasing  not  to  utter  the  name  of  God  (extolled  be  it!),  saying, 
O  Allah,  act  graciously  with  me  in  thine  appointment,  and  deliver  me  from 
the  calamity  which  Thou  hast  sent  upon  me  !  She  went  on  with  him  un- 
til she  stationed  him  before  the  Queen  Nour  Elhada,  and  the  old  woman 
directed  him  on  the  way  as  to  what  he  should  say  with  her.  And  when 
he  presented  himself  before  Nour  Elhada,  he  saw  her  with  a  veil  over  her 
face  ;  and  he  kissed  the  ground  before  her,  saluted  her,  and  recited  these 
two  verses  : 

May  God  perpetuate  thy  glory,  with  happiness,  and  enrich  thee  above  others  with 

his  gifts, 
And   may  our  Lord  increase  thy  glory  and  grandeur,  and  the  Mighty  aid  thee 

against  thine  enemies ! 

Then,  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  the  queen  commanded  the  old  wom- 
an to  talk  with  him  before  her,  that  she  might  hear  his  answers.  The  old 
woman  therefore  said,  The  queen  returneth  thy  salutation,  and  saith  to 
thee,  What  is  thy  name,  and  from  what  country  art  thou,  and  what  are 
the  names  of  thy  wife  and  thy  children  on  account  of  whom  thou  hast 
come,  and  what  is  the  name  of  thy  country?  So  he  answered  her  (and 
he  had  fortified  his  heart,  and  destiny  aided  him),  O  queen  of  the  age  and 
period,  and  peerless  one  of  the  time,  as  to  me,  my  name  is  Hassan,  the 
very  mournful,  and  my  city  is  Balsora ;  but  as  to  my  wife,  I  know  not  her 
name  ;  as  to  my  children,  however,  one  is  named  Nasir,  and  the  other  is 
named  Mansour.  And  when  the  queen  heard  his  words,  she  said,  And 
whence  took  she  her  children  ?  He  answered  her,  O  queen,  from  the  city  of 
Bagdad,  from  the  palace  of  the  caliph.  She  then  said  to  him,  And  did  she 
say  to  you  aught  at  the  time  of  her  flying  away  ?  He  answered,  She  said 
to  my  mother,  When  thy  son  cometh,  and  the  days  of  separation  havo 
become  tedious  to  him,  and  he  desireth  nearness  and  meeting,  and  the 
winds  of  longing  desire  agitate  him,  let  him  come  to  me  in  the  Islands  of 
Wak-Wak.  And  thereupon  the  Queen  Nour  Elhada  shook  her  head. 
Then  she  said  to  him,  If  she  desired  thee  not,  she  had  not  said  to  thy 
mother  these  words;  and  if  she  did  not  desire  thee  and  long  for  thine  ap- 
proach, she  had  not  acquainted  thee  with  the  place  of  her  abode,  nor  sum- 
moned thee  to  her  country.  And  Hassan  said,  O  mistress  of  kings,  and 
ruler  over  every  king  and  pauper,  I  havo  acquainted  thee  with  what  hath 
happened,  and  L  have  not  concealed  of  it  aught.  I  implore  protection  of 
God  and  of  thee,  begging  of  thee  not  to  oppress  me.  Have  compassion 
upon  me,  and  gain  the  recompense  and  reward  that  will  be  given  for  me, 
and  aid  me  to  accomplish  my  reunion  with  my  wife  and  my  childron  :  dis- 
pel my  sorrow  and  cheer  mine  eye  by  the  restoration  of  my  children,  and 
help  me  with  a  sight  of  them.  Then  ho  wept,  and  yearned,  and  lament- 
ed, and  recited  some  verses. 

Upon  this  the  Queen  Nour  Elhala  hung  dcwn  her  head  toward  the 
R*  393 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


ground  and  shook  it  for  a  long  time  ;  after  which  she  raised  it,  and  said 
to  him,  I  have  compassionated  thee  and  pitied  thee,  and  I  have  determined 
that  I  will  display  to  thee  eveiy  damsel  in  the  city  and  in  the  districts  of 
my  island  ;  and  if  thou  know  thy  wife,  I  will  deliver  her  to  thee ;  but  if 
thou  know  her  not,  I  will  slay  thee,  and  crucify  thee  upon  the  door  of  the 
house  of  the  old  woman.  And  Hassan  replied,  I  accept  this  proposal  from 
thee,  O  queen  of  the  age.     He  then  recited  these  verses  : 

You  have  roused  my  desire,  and  remained  at  ease  ;  and  made  my  wounded  eyelid 

to  be  wakeful,  and  slept : 
And  you  made  a  vow  to  me  that  you  would  not  be  backward ;  but  when  you  had 

enchained  me,  you  acted  perfidiously. 
I  loved  you  when  a  child,  not  knowing  what  was  love.     Then  slay  me  not,  for  I 

complain  of  oppression. 
Fear  you  not  God,  in  slaying  a  lover  who  watcheth  the  stars  while  others  are 

asleep  ? 
By  Allah,  O  my  people,  if  I  die,  write  ye  on  my  tombstone,  This  was  a  slave  of 

love. 
Perhaps  a  man  like  me,  whom  love  hath  afflicted,  when  he  seeth  my  grave,  may 

give  me  his  salutation. 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  said,  1  consent  to  the  condition 

which  thou  hast  imposed,  and  there  is 
no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God.  the 
High,  the  Great!  The  Queen  Nour 
Elhada  then  gave  orders  that  no  damsel 
in  the  city  should  remain  without  com- 
ing up  to  the  palace  and  passing  before 
him,  and  she  ordered  the  old  woman 
Shawahi  herself  to  go  down  into  the 
citj7,  and  to  bring  every  damsel  therein 
to  the  queen  in  her  palace.  The  queen 
proceeded  to  introduce  the  damsels  to 
Hassan,  a  hundred  after  a  hundred, 
until  there  remained  not  in  the  city  a 
damsel  whom  she  did  not  display  to 
him.  But  he  saw  not  his  wife  among 
them.  The  queen  asked  him,  and  said 
to  him,  Hast  thou  seen  her  among 
these  ?  And  he  answered  her,  By  thy 
life,  O  queen,  she  is  not  among  them. 
And  thereupon  the  rage  of  the  queen 
became  violent  against  him,  and  she 
said  to  the  old  woman,  Enter,  and  bring 
out  every  one  who  is  in  the  palace,  and 
display  them  to  him.  But  when  she 
displayed  to  him  every  one  in  the  pal- 
ace, he  saw  not  his  wife  among  them ; 
and  he  said  to  the  queen,  By  thy  head, 
meen,  she  is  not  among  them.  So  she  was  en- 
raged, and  she  cried  out  to  those  who  were  around 
The  queen  dis-  jler^  sayings  Take  him  and  drag  him  upon  his  face 
women  before  on  ^le  gvouna>  aa^  smite  off  his  head,  lest  any  one 
Hassan.  after  him  expose  himself  to  peril,  and  become  ac- 

394 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 

quainted  with  our  condition,  and  come  unto  us  in  our  country,  and  treatf 
our  land  and  our  islands. 

Accordingly,  they  dragged  him  along  upon  his  face,  threw  his  skirt  over 
him,  bound  his  eyes,  and  stood  with  the  swords  over  his  head,  waiting  for 
permission.  And  upon  this  Shawahi  advanced  to  the  queen,  kissed  the 
ground  before  her,  and,  taking  hold  of  her  skirt,  raised  it  over  her  head, 
and  said  to  her,  O  queen,  by  the  claim  that  I  have  upon  thee  for  rearing 
thee,  hasten  not  to  punish  him,  especially  since  thou  knowest  that  this 
poor  man  is  a  stranger,  who  hath  exposed  himself  to  peril,  and  endured 
events  that  none  hath  endured  before  him,  and  God  (to  whom  be  ascribed 
might  and  glory  !)  hath  saved  him  from  death  on  account  of  the  predestined 
length  of  his  life.  He  had  heard  of  thy  justice,  and  entered  thy  eountry 
and  thine  asylum;  therefore,  if  thou  slay  him,  the  news  will  be  spread 
abroad  by  the  travelers  respecting  thee  that  thou  hatest  the  strangers,  and 
slayest  them.  He  is,  at  all  events,  in  thy  power,  and  the  victim  of  thy 
sword,  if  his  wife  appear  not  in  thy  country ;  and  at  whatever  time  thou 
shalt  desire  his  presence,  I  shall  be  able  to  bring  him  back  unto  thee. 
Moreover,  I  granted  him  not  protection  save  with  the  desire  of  thy  gener- 
osity, on  account  of  the  claim  that  I  have  upon  thee  for  having  reared  thee  : 
so  I  pledged  myself  to  him  that  thou  wouldst  enable  him  to  attain  the  ob- 
ject of  his  search,  because  I  knew  thy  justice  aud  thy  clemency.  Had  I 
not  known  this  of  thee,  1  had  not  brought  him  into  thy  country,  and  said 
within  myself,  The  queen  will  divert  herself  by  seeing  him,  and  by  hear- 
ing the  verses  and  the  charming  and  eloquent  words  which  he  will  utter, 
and  which  will  be  like  strung  pearls.  This  man  hath  entered  our  country 
and  eaten  our  food ;  so  it  is  expedient  that  we  give  him  his  due,  especially 
since  I  promised  him  an  interview  with  thee  ;  and  thou  knowest  that 
separation  is  hard  to  endure,  and  knowest  that  separation  is  slaughter, 
especially  separation  from  one's  children.  Now  there  remaineth  not  any 
one  of  the  women  for  us  to  display  excepting  thee;  therefore  show  him 
thy  face. 

At  this  the  queen  smiled,  and  she  said,  How  can  he  be  my  husband, 
and  have  had  children  by  me,  that  I  should  show  him  my  face  ?  Then 
she  gave  orders  to  bring  him  ;  wherefore  they  brought  him  in  to  her  and 
stationed  him  before  her,  and  she  uncovered  her  face ;  and  when  Hassan 
beheld  it,  he  uttered  a  great  cry,  and  fell  down  in  a  fit.  So  the  old  woman 
ceased  not  to  soothe  him  until  he  recovered ;  and  when  he  recovered  from 
his  fit,  he  recited  these  verses: 

O  zephyr  tbat  bast  blown  from  the  land  of  Irak  upon  the  tracts  of  the  country  of 
Wak-Wak! 

Convey  to  the  beloved  the  information,  for  me,  that  I  die  of  the  bitter  taste  of 
love. 

O  object  of  my  love,  be  kind  and  propitious !  My  heart  is  dissolved  by  the  afflic- 
tions of  separation. 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  arose  and  looked  at  the  queen,  and 
again  uttered  a  great  cry,  whereat  the  palace  almost  fell  upon  those  who 
were  in  it.  Then  a  second  time  he  fell  down  in  a  fit,  and  the  old  woman, 
as  before,  ceased  not  to  soothe  him  until  ho  recovered,  when  she  asked 
him  respecting  his  state,  and  he  replied,  Verily  this  queen  is  either  my 
wife,  or  she  is  the  most  like,  of  all  persons,  to  my  wife.  So  the  queen 
said   to  the  old  woman,  Woe  to  thee,  O  nurse !     Verily  this  stranger  is 

: 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

mad,  or  disordered  in  mind,  for  he  looketh  in  my  face  and  stareth.  The 
old  woman  replied,  O  queen,  this  man  is  excusable ;  therefore  blame  him 
not,  since  it  is  said  in  the  proverb,  For  the  sick  of  love  there  is  no  remedy, 
and  he  and  the  mad  are  alike.  Then  Hassau  wept  violently,  and  recited 
these  two  verses  : 

I  behold  their  footsteps,  and  melt  with  desire,  pouring  forth  my  tears  in  the  places 
of  their  abode, 

And  begging  of  Him  who  hath  afflicted  me  by  their  separation  that  He  will  gra- 
ciously vouchsafe  me  their  return. 

After  which  he  said  to  the  queen,  By  Allah,  thou  art  not  my  wife  ;  but, 
of  all  persons,  thou  art  the  most  like  to  her.  And  the  Queen  Nour  Elhada 
laughed  until  she  fell  backward  and  turned  upon  her  side.  She  then  said, 
O  my  friend,  act  leisurely,  and  observe  me  distinctly,  and  answer  me  re- 
specting that  of  which  I  shall  ask  thee,  and  dismiss  from  thy  mind  insanity, 
and  perplexity,  and  confusion  ;  for  relief  hath  approached  thee.  So  Hassan 
replied,  O  mistress  of  kings,  and  refuge  of  eveiy  rich  person  and  pauper, 
when  I  beheld  thee,  I  became  mad,  seeing  thee  to  be  either  my  wife,  or, 
of  all  persons,  the  most  like  to  my  wife :  and  now  ask  me  concerning  what 
thou  wilt.  And  she  said,  What  is  there  in  thy  wife  that  resembleth  me  ? 
He  answered,  O  my  mistress,  all  that  thou  hast  of  beauty  and  loveliness, 
and  elegance  and  amorous  manner  (as  the  justness  of  thy  shape,  and  the 
sweetness  of  thy  speech,  and  the  redness  of  thy  cheeks,  and  other  things), 
resembleth  her.  Then  the  queen  looked  toward  Shawahi  the  Mother  of 
Sorrows,  and  said  to  her,  O  my  mother,  take  him  back  to  his  place  where 
he  was  with  thee,  and  do  thou  thyself  serve  him  until  I  investigate  his 
case ;  and  if  this  man  be  a  person  of  generosity,  so  that  he  retain  the  feel- 
ings of  companionship,  and  friendship,  and  affection,  it  will  be  incumbent 
on  us  to  aid  him  in  the  accomplishment  of  his  affair,  especially  since  he 
hath  sojourned  in  our  country  and  eaten  our  food,  and  endured  the  diffi- 
culties of  travel,  and  undergone  horrors  and  perils.  But  when  thou  hast 
conveyed  him  to  thy  house,  give  a  charge  respecting  him  to  thy  servants, 
and  return  to  me  speedily  ;  and  if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted  !),  naught  but  good  shall  happen. 

So  thereupon  the  old  woman  went  forth  and  took  Hassan,  and,  having 
gone  with  him  to  her  house,  she  ordered  her  female  slaves,  and  her  serv- 
ants, and  other  dependents,  to  serve  him,  commanding  them  to  bring  to 
him  all  that  he  required,  and  not  to  fail  in  doing  what  was  proper  for  him. 
She  then  returned  to  the  queen  with  speed,  and  the  queen  ordered  her  to 
arm  herself,  and  to  take  with  her  a  thousand  brave  horsemen.  And  the 
old  woman  Shawahi  obeyed  her  command.  She  put  on  her  coats  of  mail, 
and  summoned  the  thousand  horsemen  ;  and  when  she  stood  before  the 
queen,  and  informed  her  that  the  thousand  horsemen  were  ready,  the 
queen  commanded  her  to  go  to  the  city  of  the  supreme  king,  her  rattier, 
and  to  alight  at  the  abode  of  his  daughter  Menar  Elsena,  her  sister,  and  to 
say  to  her,  Clothe  thy  two  sons  with  the  two  coats  of  mail  which  I  have 
made  for  them,  and  send  them  to  their  aunt,  for  she  is  desirous  of  seeing 
fhem.  And  she  said  to  her  also,  I  charge  thee,  O  my  mother,  to  conceal 
the  affair  of  Hassan ;  and  when  thou  hast  received  the  two  children  from 
her,  say  to  her,  Thy  sister  inviteth  thee  to  visit  her.  Then,  when  she 
hath  given  thee  her  two  children,  and  come  forth  with  them  to  visit  me, 
bring  thou  the  two  children  speedily,  and  let  her  come  at  her  leisure. 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

Come  thou  by  a  way  different  from  that  by  which  she  shall  come,  and  let 
thy  journey  be  continued  night  and  day,  and  beware  that  no  one  become 
acquainted  with  this  affair.  Then  I  will  swear  by  all  oaths,  that  if  my 
sister  prove  to  be  his  wife,  and  it  appear  that  her  children  are  his  children, 
I  will  not  prevent  his  taking  her,  nor  her  journeying  with  him  and  with 
her  children  to  his  country.  And  the  old  woman  confided  in  her  words, 
not  knowing  what  she  purposed  in  her  mind  ;  for  the  wicked  woman  had 
purposed  in  her  mind  that,  if  she  were  not  his  wife,  and  if  her  children  did 
not  resemble  him,  she  would  slay  him.  The  queen  then  said  to  the  old 
woman,  O  my  mother,  if  imagination  tell  truth,  my  sister  Menar  Elsena  is 
his  wife  (but  God  is  all-knowing) ;  for  these  characteristics  are  hers,  and 
all  the  qualities  that  he  hath  mentioned ;  her  surpassing  loveliness  and  ex- 
ceeding beauty  are  not  found  in  any  one  except  my  sisters  ;  and  especially 
are  they  found  in  the  youngest.  Then  the  old  woman  kissed  her  hand, 
and  returned  to  Hassan,  and  acquainted  him  with  that  which  the  queen 
had  said  ;  on  his  hearing  which,  his  reason  fled  in  consequence  of  his  joy, 
and  he  arose  and  advanced  to  the  old  woman  and  kissed  her  head.  But 
she  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  kiss  not  my  head ;  kiss  me  on  my  mouth,  and 
let  this  kiss  be  a  gratuity  for  thy  safety.  Be  of  good  heart  and  cheerful 
eye,  and  let  not  thy  bosom  be  otherwise  than  dilated  ;  and  dislike  not  kiss- 
ing me  on  my  mouth,  for  I  have  been  the  cause  of  thine  interview  with 
her.  Comfort  thy  heart  and  thy  mind,  and  be  not  otherwise  than  with 
dilated  bosom,  cheerful  eye,  and  tranquil  soul.  She  then  bade  him  fare- 
well, and  departed. 

The  old  woman  equipped  herself  with  her  arms,  and,  taking  with  her  a 
thousand  armed  horsemen,  repaired  to  that  island  in  which  was  the  sister 
of  the  queen,  and  she  proceeded  until  she  came  to  the  queen's  sister. 
Between  the  city  of  Nour  Elhada  and  that  of  her  sister  was  a  space  of 
three  days'  journey.  And  when  Shawahi  arrived  at  the  city,  and  went 
up  to  the  queen's  sister,  Menar  Elsena,  she  saluted  her,  and  gave  her  the 
salutation  of  her  sister  Nour  Elhada,  acquainted  her  with  her  sister's  de- 
sire to  see  her  and  her  children,  and  informed  her  that  the  Queen  Nour 
Elhada  reproved  her  for  not  visiting  her.  So  the  Queen  Menar  Elsena 
replied,  Verily  I  am  indebted  to  my  sister,  and  I  have  been  deficient  in  the 
duty  I  owe  her,  in  my  not  visiting  her ;  but  I  will  visit  her  now.  She 
then  gave  orders  to  take  forth  her  tents  to  the  outside  of  the  city,  and  took 
with  her  for  her  sister  a  present  and  rarities  suitable  to  her.  And  her 
father  the  king,  looking  from  the  windows  of  the  palace,  saw  the  tents 
pitched.  He  therefore  asked  respecting  them;  and  they  answered  him, 
The  Queen  Menar  Elsena  hath  pitched  her  tents  in  that  route;  for  she 
desireth  to  visit  her  sister  Nour  Elhada.  And  when  the  king  heard  thereof, 
he  prepared  for  her  some  troops  to  conduct  her  to  her  sister,  and  took 
forth  from  his  treasuries,  of  riches,  and  of  food  and  drink,  and  of  rarities 
and  jewels,  what  words  would  fail  to  describe.  The  seven  daughters  of 
the  king  were  of  ono  father  and  one  mother,  except  the  youngest:  the 
eldest  was  named  Nour  Elhada;  the  second,  Nejm  Elsabah;  the  third, 
Shems  Eldoha;  the  fourth,  Shejeret  Eldurr;  the  fifth,  Kout  Elkuloub; 
the  sixth,  Sharaf  Elbenat;  and  the  seventh,  Menar  Elsena;  and  she  was 
the  youngest  of  them,  and  was  the  wife  of  Hassan,  and  she  was  their 
sister  by  the  father's  side  only.  Then  the  old  woman  came  and  kissed  tho 
ground  before  Menar  Elsena.     So  Menar  Elsena  said  to  her,  Hast  thou 

397 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


any  want,  O  my  mother  ?  And  she  answered  her,  The  Queen  Nour 
Elhada,  thy  sister,  desireth  thee  to  change  the  apparel  of  thy  two  sons, 
and  to  clothe  them  with  the  two  coats  of  mail  which  she  hath  made  for 
them,  and  to  send  them  with  me  unto  her,  and  I  will  take  them  and  go  on 
before  with  them,  and  will  be  the  announcer  of  the  glad  tidings  of  thy 
coming  to  her.  But  when  Menar  Elsena  heard  the  words  of  the  old 
woman,  she  hung  down  her  head  toward  the  ground,  and  her  complexion 
had  changed  ;  and  she  ceased  not  to  hang  down  her  head  for  a  long  time. 
Then  she  shook  her  head,  and,  raising  it  toward  the  old  woman,  said  to 
her,  O  my  mother,  my  mind  was  violently  agitated,  and  my  heart  throbbed, 
when  thou  mentionedst  my  children  ;  for  from  the  time  of  their  birth  none 
of  the  Genii  nor  any  of  mankind  hath  seen  their  faces,  neither  female  nor 
male,  and  I  am  jealous,  for  them,  of  the  zephyr  when  it  bloweth  in  the 
night.  So  the  old  woman  said  to  her,  What  are  these  words,  O  my  mis- 
tress ?  Dost  thou  fear,  on  their  account,  thy  sister  ?  Allah  preserve  thy 
reason  !  If  thou  wouldst  disobey  the  queen  in  this  thing,  thou  couldst  not 
disobey,  for  she  would  reprove  thee.  However,  O  my  mistress,  thy 
children  are  young,  and  thou  art  excusable  in  fearing  for  them,  and  the 
loving  is  addicted  to  evil  imagination.  But,  O  my  daughter,  thou  knowest 
my  kindness  and  my  love  for  thee  and  for  thy  children,  and  I  reared  you 
before  them.  I  will  receive  them  and  take  them,  and  spread  for  them  my 
cheek  as  a  carpet,  and  open  my  heart  and  put  them  within  it,  and  I  re- 
quire no  charge  respecting  them  in  such  a  case  as  this.  Therefore  be  of 
good  heart  and  cheerful  eye,  and  send  them  to  her,  and  at  most  I  shall  be 

before  thee  one  day  or  two.  She  ceased 
not  to  urge  her  until  her  temper  was  soft- 
ened, and  she  feared  the  anger  of  her  sister, 
and  knew  not  what  was  concealed  from  her 
in  the  secret  purpose  of  God.  So  she  con- 
sented to  send  them  with  the  old  woman, 
and,  having  called  for  them,  she  bathed 
them  and  made  them  ready,  changed  their 
apparel,  clad  them  with  the  two  coats  of 
mail,  and  delivered  them  to  the  old  woman. 
She  therefore  took  them  and  proceeded 
with  them  like  a  bird,  by  a  different  way 
from  that  by  which  their  mother  was  going, 
as  the  Queen  Nour  Elhada  had  charged  her. 
She  ceased  not  to  prosecute  her  journey 
with  diligence,  fearing  for  them,  until  she 
arrived  with  them  at  the  city  of  the  Queen 
Nour  Elhada.  She  crossed  the  river  with 
them,  entered  the  city,  and  went  with  them 
to  the  queen  their  aunt ;  and  when  the 
queen  saw  them,  she  rejoiced  at  their  ar- 
rival, embraced  them  and  pressed  them  to 
her  bosom,  and  seated  one  upon  her  right 
thigh,  and  the  other  upon  her  left  thigh. 
Then  she  looked  toward  the  old  woman,  and 
said  to  her,  Bring  now  Hassan;  for  I  have 
given  him  my  protection,  and  granted  him 
398 


The  two  children 
committed  to  the 
old  woman. 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

deliverance  from  my  sword,  and  he  hath  sought  defense  in  my  mansion, 
and  alighted  in  my  abode,  after  having  endured  horrors  and  difficulties, 
and  escaped  the  causes  of  death  that  were  attended  by  increasing  anxiety, 
yet  to  the  present  time  hath  not  become  secure  from  drinking  the  cup  of 
death,  and  from  the  stopping  of  his  breath.  The  old  woman  therefore 
said  to  her,  If  I  bring  him  before  thee,  wilt  thou  reunite  him  and  them  ; 
and  if  it  appear  not  that  they  are  his  children,  wilt  thou  pardon  him,  and 
send  him  back  to  his  country?  But  when  the  queen  heard  her  words  she 
was  violently  enraged,  and  said,  Woe  to  thee,  O  ill-omened  old  woman ! 
How  long  shall  continue  this  guile  in  the  affair  of  this  stranger,  who  hath 
emboldened  himself  against  us,  and  removed  our  veil,  and  become  ac- 
quainted with  our  circumstances  ?  Doth  he  imagine  that  he  can  come  to 
our  country,  and  see  our  faces,  and  soil  our  reputations,  and  return  to  his 
country  in  safety,  and  disgrace  us  in  his  country  and  among  his  people,  and 
that  our  story  shall  reach  all  the  kings  in  the  regions  of  the  earth,  and  the 
merchants  travel  about  relating  our  story  in  every  quarter,  and  saying,  A 
human  being  hath  entered  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak,  and  crossed  the 
countries  of  the  enchanters  and  sorcerers,  and  trod  the  Land  of  the  Genii 
and  the  Lands  of  the  Wild  Beasts  and  the  Birds,  and  returned  in  safety  ? 
This  shall  never  be.  I  swear  by  the  Creator  of  heaven,  and  its  Architect, 
and  the  Expander  of  the  earth,  and  its  Spreader,  and  the  Creator  of  the 
creatures,  and  their  Numberer,  if  they  be  not  his  children,  I  will  surely 
slay  him,  and  I  will  be  the  smiter  off  of  his  head  with  mine  own  hand  ! 
She  then  cried  out.  at  the  old  woman,  who  thereupon  fell  down  through 
fear ;  and  she  set  upon  her  the  chamberlain  and  twenty  mamlouks,  and 
said  to  them,  Go  with  this  old  woman,  and  bring  me  the  young  man  who 
is  in  her  house,  with  speed. 

So  the  old  woman  went  forth,  dragged  along,  with  the  chamberlain  and 
the  mamlouks;  and  her  complexion  had  turned  sallow,  and  the  muscles  of 
her  side  quivered.  She  proceeded  to  her  abode,  and  went  in  to  Hassan  ; 
and  when  she  went  in  to  him,  he  rose  to  her  and  kissed  her  hands  and  sa- 
luted her.  She,  however,  saluted  not  him  ;  but  said  to  him,  Arise,  and  an- 
swer the  summons  of  the  queen.  Did  I  not  say  to  thee,  Return  to  thy 
country;  and  did  I  not  forbid  thy  doing  all  this?  But  thou  heardest  not 
my  words.  And  did  I  not  say  to  thee,  I  will  give  thee  what  none  is  able 
to  procure,  and  retbm  thou  to  thy  country  soon  ?  But  thou  obeyedst  me 
not,  nor  heardest  my  words,  but  actedst  contrary  to  my  advice,  and  chosest 
destruction  for  me  and  for  thyself.  Take,  then,  what  thou  hast  chosen ;  for 
death  is  near.  Arise  ;  answer  the  summons  of  this  wicked,  sinful,  op- 
pressive, tyrannical  woman.  So  Hassan  arose,  broken-spirited,  with  mourn- 
ing heart,  fearing,  and  saying,  O  God  of  peace,  preserve  me  !  O  Allah, 
act  graciously  with  me  in  the  trial  which  Thou  hast  decreed  to  fall  upon  me, 
and  protect  me,  O  most  merciful  of  those  who  show  mercy  !  And  he  had 
despaired  of  life.  He  repaired  with  the  twenty  mamlouks,  and  the  cham- 
berlain, and  the  old  woman,  and  they  went  in  to  the  queen  with  Hassan, 
who  found  his  two  sons  Nasir  and  JMansour  sitting  in  her  lap,  and  she 
was  playing  with  them,  and  cheering  them  by  conversation.  When  his  eye 
fell  upon  them,  ho  knew  them,  and,  uttering  a  great  cry,  fell  upon  the  floor 
in  a  fit  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  his  joy  at  seeing  his  two  children  ;  and 
when  he  recovered,  he  knew  his  children,  and  they  knew  him,  and  Datura] 
affection  moved  them  so  that  they  extricated  themselves  from  the  lap  of  the 

399 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


The  two  children  recognizing  their 
father. 


queen,  and  stood  by  Hnssan  ;  and  God 
(to  whom  be  ascribed  might  and  glo- 
ry !)  caused  them  to  utter  the  exclama- 
tion, O  our  father !  Upon  this  the  old 
woman  and  the  rest  who  were  present 
wept  in  compassion  and  pity  for  them, 
and  said,  Praise  be  to  God,  who  hath 
reunited  you  to  your  father !  And 
when  Hassan  recovered  from  his  fit, 
he  embraced  his  children.  Then  he 
wept  until  he  fainted  again ;  and  hav- 
ing recovered  from  his  fit,  he  recited 
these  verses : 

By  your  existence,  my  heart  would  be 
unable  to  endure  separation  even  if 
union  were  perdition ! 

Your  phantom  saith  to  me,  We  shall 
meet  to-morrow.  Shall  I  live,  in 
spite  of  the  enemies,  till  the  morrow? 

By  your  existence,  O  my  mistress,  since 
the  day  of  your  separation,  the  sweets 
of  life  have  never  delighted  me  ! 

If  God  decree  my  death  on  account  of 
my  love  of  you,  I  will  die  loving  you 
among  the  greatest  of  martyrs. 

Oft  doth  a  gazelle  make  my  heart  her 
pasturage;  but  her  person,  like  sleep, 
hath  fled  from  mine  eye. 

If  she  deny,  in  the  battle-field  of  law, 
the  fact  of  her  shedding  my  blood,  on 
ber  cheeks  it  beareth  witness. 


But  when  the  queen  had  certified  herself  that  the  little  ones  were  the 
children  of  Hassan,  and  that  her  sister,  the  Lady  Menar  Elsena,  was  his 
wife,  in  search  of  whom  he  had  come,  she  was  enraged  against  him  with 
a  violent  rage,  not  to  be  exceeded  ;  and  she  cried  out  in  the  face  of  Has- 
san, who  fainted  thereupon ;  and  when  he  recovered  from  his  fit,  he  re- 
cited these  verses : 

You  are  distant ;  but  to  my  mind  you  are  the  nearest  of  people :  and  you  are  ab 
sent ;  but  in  my  heart  you  are  still  present. 

By  Allah,  I  have  not  turned  from  you  to  another;  but  I  bear  with  patience  the 
tyranny  of  fortune. 

Nights  pass  and  end  while  I  still  love  you,  and  in  my  heart  is  a  flame,  and  a  raging 
fire. 

I  was  one  who  consented  not  to  an  houi-'s  estrangement.  How,  then,  must  be  my 
case  when  months  have  passed  over  me  ? 

I  am  jealous  when  a  zephyr  bloweth  upon  you.  Verily  I  am  jealous  for  the  beau- 
tiful, soft  damsel. 

Then,  having  ended  his  verses,  he  fell  down  again  in  a  fit ;  and  when  he 
recovered,  he  saw  that  they  had  taken  him  forth,  dragged  along  upon  his 
face.  So  he  arose  and  walked,  stumbling  upon  his  skirts,  and  not  believ- 
ing in  his  escape  from  that  which  he  had  suffered  from  her ;  and  this  was 
grievous  to  the  old  woman  Shawahi ;  but  she  could  not  address  the  queen 
on  the  subject  of  his  case  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  her  anger.  Now 
when  Hassan  went  forth  from  the  palace,  he  became  perplexed,  not  know- 
400 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

ing  whither  to  go,  nor  to  what  place  to  come,  nor  whither  to  repair.  The 
world,  with  its  amplitude,  became  strait  unto  him,  and  he  found  not  any- 
one to  converse  with  him  and  cheer  him  by  his  company,  nor  any  one  to 
comfort  him,  nor  any  one  of  whom  to  ask  advice,  nor  any  one  to  whom  to 
resort  and  to  whom  to  apply  for  refuge.  He  therefore  made  sure  of  de- 
struction ;  for  he  was  unable  to  travel,  aud  knew  not  any  one  with  whom 
to  travel,  nor  knew  he  the  way,  nor  was  he  able  to  traverse  the  Valley  of 
the  Genii,  and  the  Land  of  the  Wild  Beasts,  and  the  Islands  of  the  Birds: 
therefore  he  despaired  of  life.  Then  he  wept  for  himself  until  he  faint- 
ed ;  and  when  he  recovered,  he  thought  upon  his  children  and  his  wife, 
and  her  coming  to  her  sister,  and  thought  upon  what  might  happen  to  her 
with  the  queen,  her  sister.  He  repented  of  his  having  come  to  this  coun- 
try, and  of  his  not  having  attended  to  the  words  of  any  one;  and  he  re- 
cited some  mournful  verses ;  after  which  he  ceased  not  to  walk  on  until  he 
went  forth  to  the  outside  of  the  city,  when  he  found  the  river,  and  he  pro- 
ceeded along  its  bank,  not  knowing  whither  to  repair. 

But  as  to  his  wife,  Menar  Elsena,  she  desired  to  set  forth  on  her  jour- 
ney on  the  second  day  after  that  on  which  the  old  woman  set  forth. 
While,  however,  she  was  meditating  to  depart,  lo,  the  chamberlain  of  the 
king  her  father  came  in  to  her,  and  kissed  the  ground  before  her,  and  said 
to  her,  O  queen,  thy  father,  the  supreme  king,  saluteth  thee  and  calleth 
thee  to  him.  So  she  arose  and  repaired  with  the  chamberlain  to  her  fa- 
ther to  see  what  he  wanted.  And  when  her  father  saw  her,  he  seated 
her  by  his  side  upon  the  couch,  and  said  to  her,  O  my  daughter,  know  that 
I  have  seen  this  last  night  a  vision,  and  I  fear  for  thee  in  consequence 
thereof,  and  fear  that  there  will  occur  to  thee,  from  this  thy  journey,  long- 
continued  anxiety.  She  therefore  said  to  him,  Wherefore,  O  my  father? 
and  what  didst  thou  see  in  thy  sleep?  And  he  answered,  I  beheld  as 
though  I  entered  a  repository  of  treasure,  and  saw  in  it  great  riches,  and 
jewels,  and  jacinths  in  abundance,  and  as  though  there  pleased  me  not  in 
all  that  treasure,  nor  among  all  those  jewels,  aught  save  seven  beads,  which 
were  the  most  beautiful  of  the  things  there.  And  I  chose,  of  the  seven 
jewels,  one,  which  was  the  smallest  of  them,  and  the  most  beautiful  of 
them,  and  the  most  excellent  of  them  in  brilliancy  ;  and  it  seemed  as  though 
I  took  it  in  my  hand,  when  its  beauty  pleased  me,  and  went  forth  with  it 
from  the  repository  of  treasure.  But  when  I  went  forth  from  its  door,  I 
opened  my  hand,  being  joyful,  and  turned  over  the  jewel ;  and  lo,  a  strange 
bird  had  approached  from  a  distant  country  ;  it  was  not  of  the  birds  of  our 
country  ;  and  it  pounced  down  upon  me  from  the  sky,  seized  the  jewel 
from  my  hand,  and  returned  with  it  to  the  place  whence  it  had  come.  So 
anxiety,  and  sorrow,  and  vexation  came  upon  me,  and  I  was  affected  with 
exceeding  terror,  which  roused  mo  from  my  sleep,  and  I  awoke  mournful, 
lamenting  the  loss  of  that  jewel.  Therefore,  when  I  awoke,  I  summoned 
the  interpreters  and  expounders,  and  related  to  them  my  dream  ;  and  they 
said  to  me,  Thou  hast  seven  daughters,  the  youngest  of  whom  thou  wilt 
lose,  and  she  will  be  taken  from  thee  forcibly,  without  thy  consent.  Now 
thou,  O  my  daughter,  art  the  youngest  of  my  daughters,  and  the  dearest 
of  them  in  my  estimation,  and  the  most  generous  of  them  to  me  ;  and  now 
thou  art  about  to  journey  to  thy  sister,  and  I  know  not  what  will  befall  thee 
from  her  :  therefore  go  not ;  but  return  to  thy  palace.  And  when  Menar 
Elsena  heard  the  words  of  her  father,  her  heart  throbbed,  and  she  feared 

401 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

for  her  children,  and  hung  down  her  head  for  a  while  toward  the  ground. 
Then  she  raised  her  head  toward  her  father,  and  said  to  him,  O  king,  ver- 
ily the  Queen  Nour  Elhada  hath  prepared  for  me  an  entertainment,  and 
she  is  expecting  my  coming  to  her  hour  after  hour.  For  four  years  she 
hath  not  seen  me,  and  if  I  delay  visiting  her,  she  will  be  incensed  against 
me ;  and  the  utmost  period  of  my  stay  with  her  will  be  a  month,  after 
which  I  shall  be  with  thee  again.  Besides,  who  is  this  person  who  can  in- 
vade our  country,  and  gain  access  to  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak  ?  And  who 
can  gain  access  to  the  White  Land,  and  the  Black  Mountain,  and  come  to 
the  Islaud  of  Camphor,  and  the  Castle  of  Crystal;  and  how  can  he  trav- 
erse the  Valley  of  the  Birds ;  then  the  Valley  of  the  Wild  Beasts  ;  then 
the  Valley  of  the  Genii ;  and  then  enter  our  islands  1  If  any  stranger 
came  in  to  them,  he  would  be  drowned  in  the  seas  of  destructions.  There- 
fore let  thy  soul  be  happy,  and  thine  eye  be  cheerful  with  regard  to  my 
journey  ;  for  no  one  hath  power  to  tread  our  land.  And  she  ceased  not 
to  persuade  him  until  he  granted  her  permission  to  go.  He  then  ordered 
a  thousand  horsemen  to  journey  with  her,  to  conduct  her  to  the  river,  and 
there  to  remain  until  she  should  arrive  at  the  city  of  her  sister,  and  enter 
her  sister's  palace.  He  also  ordered  them  to  remain  with  her  till  they 
should  take  her  and  bring  her  back  to  her  father ;  and  her  father  charged 
her  that  she  should  remain  with  her  sister  two  days  only,  and  then  return 
speedily.     So  she  said,  I  hear  and  obey. 

She  then  arose  and  went  forth,  and  her  father  went  forth  with  her,  and 
bade  her  farewell.  The  words  of  her  father  had  made  an  impression  upon 
her  heart,  and  she  feared  for  her  children ;  but  fortifying  one's  self  by  caution 
against  the  assault  of  destiny  is  of  no  avail.  She  prosecuted  her  journey 
with  diligence  for  three  days  with  their  nights,  until  she  arrived  at  the  river, 
and  pitched  her  tents  on  its  bank.  Then  she  crossed  the  river,  having  with 
her  some  of  her  pages  and  other  followers,  and  her  viziers ;  and  when  she 
arrived  at  the  city  of  the  Queen  Nour  Elhada,  she  ascended  to  the  palace, 
and  went  in  to  her ;  and  she  saw  her  children  weeping  by  her,  and  crying 
out,  O  our  father  !  So  the  tears  flowed  from  her  eyes,  and  she  wept,  and, 
pressing  her  children  to  her  bosom,  she  said  to  them,  Have  ye  seen  your 
father  ?  Would  that  the  hour  had  never  been  when  I  parted  from  him  ! 
And  if  I  knew  that  he  were  in  the  abode  of  the  world,  I  would  convey 
you  to  him.  She  then  lamented  for  herself,  and  for  her  husband,  and  for 
the  weeping  of  her  children,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

My  beloved,  notwithstanding  distance  and  cruelty,  I  desire  you  and  incline  to  you 

wherever  you  are. 
And  mine  eye  looketh  toward  your  home,  and  my  heart  lamenteth  that  the  days 

when  you  were  with  me  are  past. 
How  many  nights  have  we  passed  without  suspicion,  loving  one  another,  fidelity 

and  kindness  rejoicing  us  ! 

But  when  her  sister  saw  that  she  pressed  her  children  to  her  bosom,  and 
said,  I  have  occasioned  this  to  befall  myself  and  my  children,  and  have 
made  my  house  desolate — she  saluted  her  not ;  on  the  contrary,  she  said 
to  her,  O  wicked  woman,  how  hadst  thou  these  children  ?  Hast  thou 
married  without  the  knowledge  of  thy  father,  or  hast  thou  formed  an  un- 
lawful connection  ?  If  thou  have  done  this,  thou  must  be  severely  punished  ; 
and  if  thou  have  married  without  our  knowledge,  wherefore  didst  thou 
quit  thy  husband  and  take  thy  children,  separating  them  from  their  father, 
402 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

and  come  to  our  country  ?  Moreover,  thou  hast,  concealed  thy  children 
from  us.  Dost  thou  imngine  that  we  knew  not  that  ?  By  Allah  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !),  who  knoweth  all  secrets,  thy  case  hath  been  made 
manifest  to  us,  and  thy  state  hath  been  revealed,  and  thy  shameful  secrets 
have  been  exposed.  Then,  after  that,  she  ordered  her  guards  to  lay  hold 
upon  her.  So  they  seized  her,  and  she  bound  her  hands  behind  her, 
shackled  her  with  shackles  of  iron,  and  inflicted  upon  her  a  painful  beating, 
so  that  she  lacerated  her  skin  ;  and  she  suspended  her  by  her  hair,  put  her 
into  a  prison,  and  wrote  a  letter  to  the  supreme  king,  her  father,  informing 
him  of  her  story,  and  saying  to  him, 


■I„,i 


Menar  Elsena  iu  prison. 

There  hath  appeared  in  our  country  a  man  of  the  human  race,  and  my 
6ister,  Menar  Elsena,  asserteth  that  she  hath  married  him  lawfully  and  had 
by  him  two  sons,  whom  she  hath  concealed  from  us  and  from  thee  ;  but 
she  revealed  not  aught  respecting  herself  until  that  man,  who  is  of  the 
human  race,  came  to  us.  His  name  is  Hassan,  and  he  hath  informed  us 
that  he  married  her,  and  that  she  resided  with  him  a  long  time  ;  after 
which  she  took  her  children  and  departed  without  his  knowledge,  having 

403 


V 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

told  his  mother,  at  her  departure,  and  said  to  her,  Say  to  thy  son,  whea 
he  hath  a  longing  to  see  me,  that  he  must  come  to  the  Islands  of  Wak- 
Wak.  So  we  seized  the  man  in  our  abode,  and  I  sent  to  her  the  old 
woman  Shawahi  to  bring  her  to  me,  together  with  her  children  ;  where- 
fore she  fitted  herself  out  and  came.  And  I  had  ordered  the  old  woman 
to  bring  to  me  her  children  first,  and  to  come  on  in  advance  to  me  with 
them,  before  the  arrival  of  their  mother.  Accordingly,  the  old  woman  came, 
with  the  children,  before  her  arrival.  Then  I  sent  to  the  man  who  asserted 
her  to  be  his  wife ;  and  when  he  came  in  to  me  and  saw  the  children,  he 
knew  them.  So  I  was  certified  that  they  were  his  children  and  that  she 
was  his  wife,  and  I  knew  that  the  saying  of  the  man  was  true,  that  there 
was  no  disgracefulness  in  him,  and  I  saw  that  the  turpitude  and  disgrace- 
fulness  were  in  my  sister.  I  therefore  feared  that  we  should  be  dishonored 
in  the  opinion  of  the  people  of  our  islands  ;  and  when  this  wicked,  deceit- 
ful woman  came  in  to  me,  I  was  incensed  against  her,  and  inflicted  upon 
her  a  painful  beating,  and  suspended  her  by  her  hair.  Now  I  have  ac- 
quainted thee  with  her  story  ;  and  it  is  thine  to  command  ;  whatever  thou 
shalt  order  us  to  do,  we  will  do  it.  Thou  knowest  that  this  thing  is  attended 
with  dishonor  to  us,  and  with  disgrace  to  us  and  to  thee  ;  for  probably  the 
people  of  the  islands  will  hear  thereof,  and  we  shall  become  among  them 
an  example  ;  wherefore  it  is  expedient  that  thou  return  us  a  reply  speedily. 
She  gave  the  letter  to  the  messenger,  who  went  with  it  to  the  king ; 
and  when  the  supreme  king  read  it,  he  was  violently  enraged  against  his 
daughter  Menar  Elsena,  and  wrote  to  his  daughter  Nour  Elhada  a  letter,  in 
which  he  said  to  her,  I  have  committed  her  case  unto  thee,  and  given  thee 
power  over  her  life  ;  and  if  the  thing  be  as  thou  hast  said,  slay  her,  and 
consult  me  not  respecting  her  case.  So  when  the  letter  of  her  father 
came  to  her,  and  she  read  it,  she  sent  to  Menar  Elsena,  and  caused  her  to 
be  brought  before  her.  She  was  drowned  in  her  blood,  having  her  hands 
bound  behind  her  with  her  hair,  shackled  with  heavy  shackles  of  iron,  and 
upon  her  was  apparel  of  hair-cloth.  They  stationed  her  before  the  queen, 
and  she  stood  abject  and  abased  ;  and  when  she  beheld  herself  in  this  state 
of  great  abasement  and  excessive  contempt,  she  reflected  upon  her  former 
glory,  and  wept  violently,  and  recited  these  two  verses  : 

0  ray  Lord,  the  enemies  are  attempting  to  destroy  me,  and  imagine  that  I  can 
not  escape  from  them. 

1  have  recourse  to  Thee  to  annul  what  they  have  done !     O  my  Lord,  Thou  art 
the  refuge  of  the  fearful,  the  suppliant ! 

And  again  she  wept  violently,  until  she  fell  down  in  a  fit ;  and  when  she 
recovered  she  recited  some  other  verses. 

Her  sister  then  caused  a  ladder  of  wood  to  be  brought  to  her,  and  ex- 
tended her  upon  it,  and  ordered  the  servants  to  bind  her  upon  her  back  on 
the  ladder,  stretched  forth  her  arms  and  tied  them  with  cords,  uncovered 
her  head,  and  wound  her  hair  upon  the  ladder;  and  pity  for  her  had  been 
eradicated  from  her  heart.  So  when  Menar  Elsena  beheld  herself  in  this 
state  of  abasement  and  contempt,  she  cried  out  and  wept ;  but  no  one  aided 
her.  She  said  to  the  queen,  O  my  sister,  how  is  it  that  thy  heart  is 
hardened  against  me,  and  thou  hast  no  mercy  on  me,  nor  hast  mercy  on 
these  little  infants  ?  But  when  she  heard  these  words,  her  hardness  of 
heart  increased,  and  she  reviled  her,  and  said  to  her,  O  wanton !  O  wicked 
woman  !  May  God  show  no  mercy  to  the  person  who  showeth  mercy  to 
404 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

thee  !  How  can  I  have  pity  on  thee,  O  deceitful  woman  ?  So  Menar 
Elsena,  lying  stretched  (as  above  described),  said  to  her,  I  appeal  against 
thee  to  the  Lord  of  heaven  with  regard  to  that  wherewith  thou  reproach- 
est  me,  and  I  am  innocent  of  it.  By  Allah,  I  have  not  formed  an  unlawful 
connection;  but  I  married  him  legally;  and  my  Lord  knoweth  whether 
my  words  be  true  or  not.  My  heart  is  incensed  against  thee  on  account 
of  the  excessive  hardness  of  thy  heart  toward  me.  How  is  it  that  thou 
accusest  me  of  dishonesty  without  knowledge  thereof?  But  my  Lord 
will  deliver  me  from  thee;  and  if  the  accusation  of  dishonesty  that  thou 
hast  brought  against  me  be  true,  God  will  punish  me  for  it.  And  her  sister 
meditated  in  her  mind  when  she  heard  her  words,  and  said  to  her,  How 
is  it  that  thou  addressest  me  with  these  words  ?  Then  she  arose  and  ad- 
vanced to  Her,  and  beat  her  until  she  fainted  ;  and  they  sprinkled  water  upon 
her  face  till  she  recovered.  Her  charms  had  become  changed  by  reason 
of  the  violence  of  the  beating,  and  the  tightness  of  the  bonds,  aud  the  ex- 
cessive insult  that  she  had  experienced  ;  aud  she  recited  these  two  verses  : 

If  I  have  committed  a  crime,  and  done  an  iniquitous  deed, 

I  repent  of  what  hath  passed,  and  have  come  to  you  begging  pardon. 

But  when  Nour  Elhada  heard  her  verses,  she  was  violently  incensed,  and 
said  to  her,  Dost  thou  speak,  O  wicked  woman,  before  me  in  verse,  and 
seek  to  excuse  thyself  for  the  heinous  sins  that  thou  hast  committed  ?  It 
was  tny  desire  that  thou  shouldst  return  to  thy  husband,  in  order  that  I 
might  witness  thy  wickedness  and  thy  turpitude ;  for  thou  gloriest  in  the 
wickedness,  and  shameful  conduct,  and  heinous  sins  that  have  proceeded 
from  thee.  She  then  ordered  the  pages  to  bring  her  the  palm-stick ;  so 
they  brought  it ;  and  she  arose  and  tucked  up  the  sleeves  from  her  arms, 
and  fell  to  beating  her  from  her  head  to  her  feet ;  after  which  she  called 
for  a  plaited  whip,  such  that  if  an  elephant  were  beaten  with  it  he  would 
trot  witli  speed;  and  she  fell  to  beating  her  with  that  whip  upon  her  back, 
and  her  stomach,  and  all  her  limbs,  until  she  fainted.  Now  when  the  old 
woman  Shawahi  saw  this  that  the  queen  did,  she  wqnt  forth  fleeing  from 
before  her,  and  weeping  and  cursing  her.  But  the  queen  cried  out  to  the 
servants,  and  said  to  them,  Bring  her  to  me  !  So  they  ran  together  after 
her,  and  laid  hold  upon  her,  and  brought  her  before  the  queen,  who  gave 
orders  to  throw  her  upon  the  ground,  and  said  to  the  female  slaves,  Drag 
her  along  on  her  face,  aud  turn  her  out.  Accordingly,  they  dragged  her 
and  turned  her  out  from  before  the  queen. 

As  to  Hassan,  however,  he  arose  with  firmness,  and  walked  along  the 
bank  of  the  river,  and  turned  his  face  toward  the  desert.  He  was  per- 
plexed, anxious,  despairing  of  life,  and  he  had  become  confounded,  not 
knowing  night  from  day,  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  the  afflictions  that 
had  befallen  him.  He  ceased  not  to  walk  on  until  he  came  to  a  tree,  and 
he  found  upon  it  a  paper  suspended.  So  he  took  it  with  his  hand,  and 
looked  at  it ;  and  lo,  on  it  were  written  these  verses  : 

I  disposed  thine  affair  at  the  time  when  thou  wast  in  thy  mother's  womb, 

And  inclined  her  heart  to  thee  so  that  she  fostered  thee  in  her  bosom. 

We  will  suffice  thee  in  matters  that  occasion  thee  anxiety  aud  sorrow. 

So  submit  to  us,  and  arise.     We  will  aid  thee  in  thine  enterprise. 

And  when  he  had  finished  reading  the  paper,  he  felt  sure  of  escape  from 
trouble,  and  of  effecting  his  reunion.  Then  he  went  on  two  steps,  and 
found  himself  alone  in  a  desert,  perilous  place,  without  any  one  by  whose 

405 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


Hassan  reading  the  paper  found  on  the  tree. 

society  to  cheer  himself;  wherefore  his  reason  fled  in  consequence  of  his 
solitude  and  fear,  the  muscles  of  his  side  quivered  on  account  of  this  fearful 
place,  and  he  recited  some  verses. 

After  that  he  proceeded  along  the  bank  of  the  river  two  steps  further, 
and  he  found  two  young  boys,  of  the  sons  of  the  enchanters  and  sorcerers. 
Before  them  was  a  rod  of  brass,  engraved  with  talismans,  and  by  the  side 
of  the  rod  was  a  cap  of  leather,  the  crown  of  which  was  composed  of  three 
triangular  pieces,  whereon  were  worked,  in  steel,  names,  and  characters 
of  seals.  The  rod  and  the  cap  were  thrown  upon  the  ground,  and  the 
two  boys  were  disputing  and  beating  each  other  on  account  of  them,  so 
that  blood  flowed  from  them,  while  this  said,  None  shall  take  the  rod 
but  I  ;  and  the  other  said,  None  shall  take  the  rod  but  I.  So  Hassan 
interposed  between  them,  and  disengaged  them,  one  from  the  other, 
and  said  to  them,  What  is  the  cause  of  this  contention  ?  And  they 
answered  him,  O  uncle,  judge  between  us ;  for  God  (whose  name  be  ex- 
alted !)  hath  sent  thee  to  us  in  order  that  thou  shouldst  decide  between  us 
justly.  He  therefore  said,  Prelate  to  me  your  story,  and  I  will  judge  be- 
tween you.  And  one  of  them  said  to  him,  We  are  two  brothers  by  the 
same  father  and  mother,  and  our  father  was  one  of  the  great  enchanters. 
He  resided  in  a  cavern  in  this  mountain,  and  he  died,  leaving  to  us  this  cap 
and  this  rod;  and  my  brother  saitb,  None  shall  take  the  rod  but  1 ;  and  I 
say,  None  shall  take  it  but  I.  So  judge  between  us,  and  deliver  us,  one 
from  another.  Therefore,  when  Hassan  heard  their  words,  he  said  to 
406 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


Hassan  settling  the  dispute  between  the  two  boys. 


them,  What  is  the  difference  between  the  rod  and  the  cap,  and  what  is 
their  value  ?  For  the  rod,  in  appearance,  is  worth  six  farthings,  and  the 
cap  is  worth  three  farthings.  They  replied,  Thou  knowest  not  their 
virtues.  And  he  said  to  them,  What  are  their  virtues?  They  answered 
him,  In  each  of  them  is  a  wonderful  secret  property ;  for  the  rod  is  worth 
the  revenue  of  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak  with  their  districts,  and  the  cap  in 
like  manner.  So  Hassan  said  to  one  of  them,  O  my  son,  by  Allah,  dis- 
cover to  me  their  secret  properties.  And  he  replied,  O  uncle,  verily  their 
secret  properties  are  extraordinary;  for  our  father  lived  a  hundred  and 
thirty-five  years,  applying  himself  to  the  contrivance  of  them  until  he  finish- 
ed them  iu  the  most  perfect  manner,  ingrafted  in  them  the  secret  virtues, 
made  use  of  them  fur  extraordinary  services,  designed  upon  them  the 
similitude  of  the  revolving  firmament,  and  dissolved,  by  their  means,  all 
talismanic  charms ;  and  when  he  had  finished  the  contrivance  of  them, 
death,  which  every  one  must  experience,  overtook  him.  Now  as  to  the 
cap,  its  secret  property  is  this  :  that  whosoever  putteth  it  on  his  head,  he 
is  concealed  from  the  eyes  of  all  people,  and  no  one  seeth  him  as  long  as 
it  remaineth  on  his  head.  And  as  to  the  rod,  this  is  its  secret  property  : 
that  whosoever  possesseth  it,  he  hath  authority  over  seven  tribes  of  the 

407 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

Genii,  and  all  of  them  will  serve  that  rod :  all  of  them  will  be  under  his 
command  and  authority  ;  and  every  one  who  possesseth  it,  and  in  whose 
hand  it  is,  when  he  smiteth  with  it  the  ground,  its  kings  will  humble  them- 
selves to  him,  and  all  the  Genii  will  be  at  his  service. 

When  Hassan  heard  these  words,  he  hung  down  his  head  for  a  while 
toward  the  ground.  Then  he  said  within  himself,  By  Allah,  I  shall  surely 
be  rendered  triumphant  by  means  of  this  rod  and  this  cap,  if  it  be  the  will 
of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  I  am  more  worthy  of  them  than 
they.  So  I  will  immediately  employ  a  stratagem  to  take  them  from  them, 
that  I  may  have  recourse  to  their  aid  for  my  deliverance,  and  the  deliver- 
ance of  my  wife  and  my  children,  from  this  tyrannical  queen,  and  we  will 
journey  from  this  dismal  place,  from  which  there  is  [otherwise]  no  de- 
liverance nor  flight  for  any  one  of  mankind.  Probably  God  sent  me  not 
to  these  two  youths  save  for  the  purpose  of  my  getting  from  them  the  rod 
and  the  cap.  He  then  raised  his  head  toward  the  two  youths,  and  said  to 
them,  If  ye  desire  the  decision  of  the  case,  I  will  make  a  trial  of  you,  and 
he  who  overcometh  his  companion  shall  take  the  rod,  and  he  who  faileth 
shall  take  the  cap  ;  for  if  I  make  trial  of  you  and  discern  between  you,  I 
shall  know  what  each  of  you  deserveth.  And  they  replied,  O  uncle,  we 
depute  thee  to  make  trial  of  us,  and  to  judge  between  us  as  thou  choosest. 
Hassan  said  to  them,  Will  ye  attend  to  my  words,  and  have  regard  to 
what  I  shall  say  ?  They  answered  him,  Yes.  And  Hassan  said  to  them, 
I  will  take  a  stone  and  throw  it,  and  the  one  of  you  who  getteth  first  to  it, 
and  taketh  it  before  his  companion,  shall  take  the  rod  ;  and  he  who  is  last, 
and  reacheth  it  not,  shall  take  the  cap.  And  they  replied,  We  accept  from 
thee  this  proposal,  and  we  are  content  with  it.  Then  Hassan  took  a  stone 
and  threw  it  with  all  his  force,  and  it  went  out  of  sight.  The  two  youths, 
therefore,  hastened  together  after  it ;  and  when  they  were  at  a  distance, 
Hassan  took  the  cap  and  put  it  on,  and  he  took  the  rod  in  his  hand,  and 
removed  from  his  place  to  see  the  truth  of  that  which  they  had  said  with 
respect  to  the  secret  of  their  father.  And  the  younger  boy  got  first  to 
the  stone  and  took  it,  and  he  returned  with  it  to  the  place  in  which  was 
Hassan,  and  saw  no  trace  of  him.  So  he  called  out  to  his  brother,  and 
said  to  him,  Where  is  the  man  who  judgeth  between  us  ?  And  he  an- 
swered, I  see  him  not,  nor  know  I  whether  he  hath  ascended  to  the  highest 
heaven,  or  descended  to  the  lowest  earth.  They  searched  for  him,  and 
saw  him  not ;  and  Hassan  was  standing  in  his  place.  Therefore  they  re- 
viled one  another,  and  said,  The  rod  and  the  cap  are  gone  :  they  are  nei- 
ther mine  nor  thine  ;  and  our  father  said  to  us  these  very  words  ;  but  we 
forgot  what  he  told  us. 

They  then  retraced  their  steps,  and  Hassan  entered  the  city,  wearing 
the  cap,  and  having  in  his  hand  the  rod,  and  none  of  the  people  saw  him. 
He  entered  the  palace,  ascended  to  the  placei  n  which  was  Shawahi  the 
Mother  of  Sorrows,  and  went  in  to  her,  still  wearing  the  cap,  and  she  saw 
him  not.  Then  he  walked  on  until  he  drew  near  to  a  shelf  which  was  over 
her  hefid,  and  on  which  were  vessels  of  glass  and  China-ware;  and  he 
shook  it  with  his  hand  so  that  the  things  that  were  upon  it  fell  on  the  floor. 
So  Shawahi  cried  out,  and  slapped  her  face ;  and  she  arose  and  restored 
what  had  fallen  to  their  places,  saying  within  herself,  By  Allah,  I  imagine 
not  aught  but  that  the  Queen  Nour  Elhada  hath  sent  to  me  a  devil,  and 
that  he  hath  done  to  mo  this  deed.  I  therefore  beg  God  (whose  name  be 
408 


STOSY  OK  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 


The  vessels  of  glass  and  china-ware  falling  upon  the  old  woman. 

exalted  !)  to  deliver  me  from  her,  and  to  preserve  me  from  her  anger.  O 
my  Lord,  if  this  is  her  abominable  conduct  to  her  sister,  beating  and  sus- 
pending her,  when  she  is  dear  in  the  estimation  of  her  father,  how  will  she 
act  with  the  stranger  like  myself,  when  she  is  incensed  against  her  ? 
Then  she  said,  I  conjure  thee,  O  devil,  by  the  most  Compassionate,  the 
Beneficent,  the  Great  in  dignity,  the  Mighty  in  dominion,  the  Creator  of 
mankind  and  the  Genii,  and  by  the  characters  upon  the  seal  of  Solomon 
the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !),  that  thou  speak  to  me  and 
reply  to  me  !  So  Hassan  replied  to  her,  and  said  to  her,  I  am  not  a  devil ; 
I  am  Hassan  the  distracted,  the  confounded,  the  perplexed.  He  then 
pulled  off  the  cap  from  his  head  ;  whereupon  he  appealed  to  the  old  woman, 
and  she  knew  him,  and,  having  taken  him  into  a  private  place,  she  said  to 
him,  What  hath  happened  to  thy  reason,  that  thou  hast  come  hither  !  Go, 
hide  thyself;  for  this  iniquitous  woman  bath  indicted  tortures  upon  thy  wife, 
though  she  is  her  sister:  how,  then,  will  she  act  if  she  light  upon  thee  ? 
And  she  related  lo  him  all  that  hail  befallen  his  wife,  describing  to  him  her 
present  state  of  distress,  and  punishment,  and  torture ;  and  in  like  manner 
she  described  to  him  the  torture  that  had  befallen  herself;  after  which  she 
said  lo  him,  Verily  the  queen  repented  of  her  having  liberated  thee,  and 
hath  sent  to  thee  one  to  bring  thee  to  her,  promising  that  she  will  give  him 
Vol.  II.— S  409 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

a  hundred  weight  of  gold,  and  place  him  in  my  post  in  her  service.  She 
hath  also  sworn  that  it"  they  bring  thee  back,  she  will  slay  thee,  and  slay 
thy  wife  and  thy  children.  Then  the  old  woman  wept,  find  discovered  to 
Hassan  what  the  queen  had  done  to  her;  whereupon  Hassan  also  wept, 
and  he  said,  O  my  mistress,  how  is  it  possible  to  escape  from  this  country 
and  from  this  tyrannical  queen ;  and  what  is  the  stratagem  that  will  enable 
me  to  deliver  my  wife  and  my  children,  and  to  return  with  them  to  my 
country  ?  The  old  woman  replied,  Woe  to  thee  !  Save  thyself !  But  he 
said,  I  must  deliver  her  and  deliver  my  children  from  the  queen  by  force. 
How,  said  the  old  woman,  wilt  thou  deliver  them  from  her  by  force  ?  Go 
and  hide  thyself,  O  my  son,  until  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  shall 
permit. 

Hassan  therefore  showed  her  the  rod  of  brass  and  the  cap  ;  and  when 
the  old  woman  saw  them,  she  rejoiced  in  them  exceedingly,  and  said  to 
him,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  Him  who  reanimateth  the  bones  when 
they  are  rotten  ?  By  Allah,  O  my  son,  thou  and  thy  wife  were  naught 
but  of  the  number  of  the  perishing,  and  now,  O  my  son,  thou,  and  thy  wife, 
and  thy  children,  are  saved  ;  for  I  know  the  rod,  and  know  who  was  its 
owner,  he  having  been  my  sheikh,  who  taught  me  enchantment.  He  was 
an  egregious  enchanter  :  he  persevered  a  hundred  and  thirty-five  years 
until  he  skillfully  made  this  rod  and  this  cap  ;  and  when  the  making  of  them 
in  this  manner  was  finished,  death,  which  is  inevitable,  overtook  him. 
And  I  heard  him  say  to  his  two  sons,  O  my  sons,  these  two  things  are  not 
of  your  lot ;  for  a  person,  a  stranger  to  the  country,  will  come  and  take  them 
from  you  by  force,  and  ye  will  not  know  how  he  will  take  them.  So  they 
said,  O  our  father,  inform  us  how  he  will  be  able  to  take  them.  But  he 
replied,  I  know  not  that.  How,  then,  wast  thou  able,  O  my  son,  to  take 
them  ?  He  therefore  told  her  how  he  took  them  from  the  two  boys  ;  and 
when  he  told  her,  she  rejoiced  thereat,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  as  thou 
hast  enabled  thyself  to  gain  possession  of  thy  wife  and  thy  children,  hear 
what  I  will  say  to  thee.  I  can  no  longer  reside  in  the  abode  of  this  wicked 
woman,  since  she  hath  assaulted  me  and  tormented  me.  I  am  about  to 
depart  from  her  to  the  cavern  of  the  enchanters,  to  reside  with  them  and 
to  live  with  them  until  I  die.  Now  do  thou,  O  my  son,  put  on  the  cap, 
and  take  the  rod  in  thy  hand  ;  then  go  in  to  thy  wife  and  thy  children,  in  the 
place  in  which  they  are,  and  strike  the  ground  with  the  rod,  and  say,  O 
servants  of  these  names  !  Thereupon  their  servants  will  come  up  to  thee  ; 
and  if  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes  come  up  to  thee,  command  him  to  do 
as  thou  shalt  desire  and  choose. 

He  then  bade  her  farewell,  and  departed,  and,  having  put  on  the  cap, 
and  taken  the  rod  with  him,  he  entered  the  place  in  which  was  his  wife. 
He  saw  her  in  a  state  approaching  to  annihilation,  extended  upon  the  lad- 
der, with  her  hair  bound  to  it,  and  with  weeping  eye  and  mourning  heart, 
in  the  most  evil  condition,  not  knowing  any  way  to  effect  her  deliverance. 
Her  children  were  beneath  the  ladder  playing,  and  she  was  looking  at 
them,  and  weeping  for  them  and  herself,  on  account  of  the  things  that  had 
happened  to  her  and  befallen  her,  and  the  torment,  and  painful  beating,  and 
most  violent  punishment  that  she  suffered  ;  and  when  he  saw  her  thus  in 
the  most  evil  of  conditions,  he  heard  her  recite  these  verses: 

There  remaineth  not  augbt  save  a  flitting  breath,  and  an  eye  whose  owner  is. 
confounded, 
410 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

And  a  desirous  lover  whose  bowels  are  burned  with  fire,  notwithstanding-  which 

she  is  silent. 
The  exulting  foe  pitieth  her  at  the  sight  of  her.     Alas  for  her  whom  the  exulting 

foe  pitieth  ! 

When  Hassan  saw  the  torment,  and  abasement,  and  contempt  that  she  was 
suffering,  he  wept  until  he  fainted,  and  on  his  recovering,  and  seeing  his  chil- 
dren playing,  and  their  mother  in  a  fit  of  insensibility,  by  reason  of  the  ex- 
cess of  her  pain,  he  removed  the  cap  from  his  head  ;  whereupon  they  cried 
out,  O  our  father !  Then  he  covered  his  head  again,  and  their  mother  re- 
covered from  her  fit  on  hearing  their  cry,  and  saw  not  her  husband,  but 
only  saw  her  children  weeping,  and  crying  out,  O  our  father !  So  she 
wept  when  she  heard  them  mention  their  father  and  weep :  her  heart 
broke,  and  her  bowels  were  cut  in  pieces,  and  she  called  out,  with  a  liver 
that  was  burst,  and  a  painful  heart,  Where  are  ye,  and  where  is  your 
father?  Then  she  reflected  upon  the  times  of  her  union  with  him,  and 
reflected  upon  the  events  that  had  befallen  her  since  his  separation,  and 
wept  violently,  so  that  her  tears  ulcerated  her  cheeks  and  wetted  iho 
ground.  Her  cheeks  became  drowned  in  her  tears,  by  the  excess  of  her 
weeping,  and  she  bad  not  a  hand  at  liberty  that  she  might  wipe  away  her 
tears  with  it  from  her  cheeks.  The  flies  were  satiated  with  feeding  upon 
her  skin,  and  she  found  for  herself  no  aider  save  weeping,  and  consoling 
herself  by  recitiug  verses.  And  when  Hassan  heard  her  verses,  he  wept 
until  he  fainted;  his  tears  ran  down  upon  his  cheeks  like  rain,  and,  draw- 
ing near  to  the  children,  he  removed  the  cap ;  and  when  they  saw  him, 
they  knew  him,  and  cried  out,  saying,  O  our  father  !  So  their  mother  wept 
again  on  hearing  them  mention  their  father,  and  said,  There  is  no  means 
of  avoiding  what  God  hath  decreed.  And  she  said  within  herself,  O 
wonderful !  What  is  the  cause  of  their  mention  of  their  father  at  this 
time,  and  their  calling  to  him  ?     Then  she  wept,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

The  country  is  destitute  of  the  rising  moon!     O  mine  eye,  pour  forth  overflowing 

tears  ! 
They  have  gone,  and  how  can  I  be  patient  after  their  departure?     I  swear  that 

1  have  neither  heart  nor  patience. 

0  you  who  have  departed,  but  whose  abode  is  in  my  heart,  will  you,  after  this,  O 
my  master,  return? 

What  harm  if  they  return  and  I  enjoy  their  society,  and  they  feel  pity  for  the 

overflowing  of  my  tears,  and  my  anguish? 
They  made  miue  eyes  misty  on  the  day  of  departure,  through  astonishment,  and 

the  fire  of  my  bosom  is  not  extinguished. 

1  desired  their  remaining ;  but  fortune  opposed  me  with  respect  to  them,  and  dis- 
appointed my  desire  by  separation. 

By  Allah,  O  object  of  our  love,  return  to  us  ;  for  my  tears  have  flowed  sufficiently 
for  your  absence! 

So  Hassan  could  no  longer  abstain  from  removing  the  cap  from  his  hear], 
and  his  wife  saw  him;  and  when  she  knew  him,  she  uttered  a  cry  that 
alarmed  all  who  were  in  the  palace.  She  then  said  to  him,  How  earnest 
thou  hither  ?  Hast  thou  descended  from  the  sky,  or  risen  from  the  earth  ? 
And  her  eyes  filled  with  tears  ;  therefore  Hassan  also  wept ;  and  she  said 
to  him,  O  man,  this  is  not  a  time  for  weeping,  nor  is  it  a  time  for  reproach. 
Fate  hath  had  its  course,  and  the  sight  was  blinded,  and  the  pen  hath  writ- 
ten what  God  decreed  from  eternity.  I  conjure  thee,  by  Allah,  to  tell  mo 
whence  thou  hast  come.  Go  and  hide  thyself,  lest  any  one  see  thee  and 
inform  my  sister  thereof,  and  she  slaughter  mo  and  slaughter  thee  also. 

411 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  O^  BALSORA. 


Hassan  replied,  O  my  mis- 
tress, and  mistress  of  every 
queen,  I  have  exposed  my 
life  to  peril  and  come  hith- 
er, and  either  I  will  die,  or  I 
will  deliver  thee  from  the 
predicament  in  which  thou 
art,  and  1,  and  thou,  and 
my  children  will  journey 
to  my  country,  in  spite  of 
this  wicked  woman,  thy  sis- 
ter. But  when  she  heard 
his  words,  she  smiled  and 
laughed,  and  shook  her  head 
for  a  long  time,  and  said  to 
him,  Far,  O  my  soul,  far  is 
it  from  me  that  any  one 
should  deliver  me  from  the 
predicament  in  which  I  am, 
excepting  God,  whose  name 
he  exalted !  So  save  thyself, 
and  depart,  and  cast  not  thy- 
self into  destruction ;  for  she 
hath  numerous  and  heavily- 
equipped  troops,  whom  no 
one  can  confront.  And  sup- 
pose thou  tookest  me  and 
wentest  forth,  how  canst 
thou  make  thy  way  to  thy 
country,  and  how  can  we 
escape  from  these  islands, 
and  the  difficulties  of  these 
places  ?  Thou  hast  seen, 
in  thy  way,  wonders,  and 
strange  things,  and  horrors, 
and  troubles,  such  as  scarce- 
ly can  one  of  the  refractory  Genii 
escape.  Go,  therefore,  soon,  and  in- 
crease not  my  anxiety  nor  my  sorrow ; 
and  pretend  not  that  thou  wilt  deliver 
me  from  this  state ;  for  who  will  con- 
vey me  to  thy  country  across  these 
valleys,  and  thirsty  lands,  and  fatal 
places  ?  Hassan  thereupon  said  to  her, 
By  thy  life,  O  light  of  mine  eye,  I  will  wife, 

not  go  forth  hence,  nor  will  I  journey 

forth  save  with  thee.  She  rejoined,  O  man,  how  canst  thou  do  this  thing  ? 
What  is  thy  nature  ?  For  thou  knowest  not  what  thou  sayest.  If  thou 
hadst  dominion  over  Genii,  and  Afrites,  and  enchanters,  and  tribes,  and 
spirits,  thou  couldst  not;  for  no  one  is  able  to  escape  from  these  places. 
Therefore  save  thyself,  and  leave  me.  Perhaps  God  will  bring  to  pass 
412 


»  himself  to  bis 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

other  events  after  these.  So  Hassan  said  to  her,  O  mistress  of  beauties, 
1  came  not  save  to  deliver  thee  by  means  of  this  rod  and  by  means  of  this 
cap.  And  he  related  to  her  what  had  happened  to  him  with  the  two  bojs. 
But  while  he  was  speaking,  lo,  the  queen  came  in  to  them,  and  heard 
their  conversation.  So  when  he  saw  the  queen,  he  put  on  the  cap;  and 
she  said  to  her  sister,  O  wicked  woman,  who  is  he  with  whom  thou  wast 
conversing?  She  replied,  And  who  is  with  me  to  speak  to  me  excepting 
these  infants  ?  And  the  queen  took  the  whip,  and  proceeded  to  beat  her 
with  it,  while  Hassan  stood  looking  on.  She  ceased  not  to  beat  her  until 
she  fainted,  when  she  gave  orders  to  remove  her  from  that  place  to  an- 
other ;  wherefore  they  loosed  her  and  went  forth  with  her  to  another  place, 
and  Hassan  went  forth  with  them  to  the  place  lo  which  they  conveyed  her. 
Then  they  threw  her  down  senseless,  and  stood  looking  at  her ;  and  when 
she  recovered  from  her  fit,  she  recited  these  verses : 

I  have  sorrowed  on  account  of  our  disunion  with  a  sorrow  that  made  the  tears  to 

overflow  from  my  eyelids ; 
And  I  vowed  that  if  fortune  should  reunite  us,  I  would  never  again  mention  our 

separation ; 
And  I  would  say  to  the  enviers,  Die  ye  with  regret;  by  Allah,  I  have  now  attained 

my  desire ! 
Joy  hath  overwhelmed  me  to  such  a  degree  that  by  its  excess  it  hath  made  me 

weep. 
O  eye,  how  hath  weeping  become  thy  habit?     Thou  weepest  in  joy  as  well  as  in 

sorrows. 

And  when  she  had  ended  her  verses,  the  female  slaves  went  forth  from  her. 
So  thereupon  Hassau  pulled  off  his  cap ;  and  his  wife  said  to  him,  See, 

0  man  :  all  this  hath  not  befallen  me  save  on  account  of  my  having  diso- 
beyed thee,  and  acted  in  opposition  to  thy  command,  and  gone  forth  with- 
out thy  permission.  But  I  conjure  thee  by  Allah,  O  man,  blame  me  not 
for  my  misconduct.  Know  that  a  woman  is  not  sensible  of  the  value  of  a 
man  until  she  is  separated  from  him.     I  have  done  wrong  and  sinned  ;  but 

1  beg  God,  the  Great,  to  pardon  the  actions  committed  by  me ;  and  if  God 
reunite  us,  I  will  never  disobey  thy  command  after  that.  Hassan  replied 
(and  his  heart  pained  him  for  her),  Thou  sinnedst  not,  and  none  sinned  but 
I ;  for  I  went  away  on  a  journey,  and  left  thee  with  one  who  knoweth  not 
thy  dignity,  nor  knoweth  thy  value  nor  thy  rank.  And  know  thou,  O  be- 
loved of  my  heart,  and  delight  of  my  soul,  and  light  of  mine  eye,  that  God 
(whose  perfection  be  extolled  !)  hath  empowered  me  to  deliver  thee.  De- 
sirest  thou,  then,  that  I  convey  thee  to  the  abode  of  thy  father,  and  that 
thou  shouldst  experience,  with  him,  the  accomplishment  of  all  that  God 
hath  appointed  for  thee,  or  wilt  thou  journey  to  our  country  soon,  seeing 
that  relief  hath  come  to  thee  ?  But  she  said  to  him,  And  who  is  able  to 
deliver  me,  except  the  Lord  of  heaven  ?  Go  thou,  therefore,  to  thy  coun- 
try, and  dismiss  from  thy  mind  desire ;  for  thou  knowest  not  the  dangers 
of  this  country;  and  if  thou  comply  not  with  my  advice,  thou  wilt  see. 
Then  she  recited  some  verses,  and  wept  with  her  children,  and  the  female 
slaves  heard  their  weeping ;  so  they  came  in  to  them,  and  found  the  Queen 
Menar  Elsena  and  her  children  weeping;  but  they  saw  not  Hassan  with 
them  ;  and  the  female  slaves  wept  in  compassion  for  them,  and  cursed  the 
Queen  Nour  Elhada. 

Then  Hassan  waited  until  night  approached  and  the  guards  who  were 
deputed  to  watch  her  went  to  their  sleeping  places :  after  which  he  arose 

413 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

and  girded  his  waist,  and,  coming  to  his  wife,  loosed  her,  and  kissed  her 
head,  pressed  her  to  his  bosom,  kissed  her  between  her  eyes,  and  said  to 
her,  How  great  is  our  desire  for  our  country  and  for  our  reunion  there  ! 
Is  this  our  meeting  in  sleep  or  in  a  time  when  we  are  awake  ?  He  then 
took  up  his  elder  child,  and  she  took  up  the  younger  child,  and  they  went 
forth  from  the  palace.  God  had  let  down  the  veil  of  his  protection  over 
them,  and  they  proceeded  ;  and  on  their  arrival  at  the  outside  of  the  pal- 
ace, they  stopped  at  the  door  that  was  locked  to  close  the  entrance  lo  the 
palace  of  the  queen  ;  but  when  they  were  there,  they  saw  it  locked.  So 
Hassan  said,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the 
Great !  Verily  to  God  we  belong,  and  verily  unto  Him  we  return  !  Upon 
this  they  despaired  of  escape,  and  Hassan  said,  O  Dispeller  of  griefs!  and 
struck  hand  upon  hand,  and  said,  I  had  calculated  upon  every  thing,  and 
considered  its  result,  excepting  this;  and  now,  when  the  day  cometh  upon 
us,  they  will  take  us  ;  and  how  shall  we  contrive  in  this  case  ?  And  he  re- 
cited these  two  verses : 

Thou  thoughtest  well  of  tlie  days  when  they  went  well  with  thee,  and  fearedst 

not  the  evil  that  destiny  was  bringing. 
Thy  nights  were  peaceful,  and  thou  wast  deceived  by  them:  in  the  midst  of  their 

brightness  there  cometh  gloom. 

Then  he  wept,  and  his  wife  wept  at  his  weeping,  and  on  account  of  the 
contempt  and  misfortunes  that  she  suffered  ;  and  Hassan,  looking  toward 
her,  recited  this  couplet : 

My  fortune  opposeth  me  as  though  I  were  its  enemy,  and  every  day  meeteth  me 

with  calamity. 
When  I  seek  prosperity,  it  bringeth  the  reverse  of  it ;  and  if  one  day  it  is  bright 

to  me,  the  next  day  it  is  turbid. 

And  his  wife  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  there  is  no  relief  for  us,  unless  we  kill 
ourselves,  and  so  be  at  rest  from  this  excessive  trouble.  Otherwise,  in  the 
morning  we  shall  suffer  painful  torture. 

Now  while  they  were  talking,  a  speaker  said,  outside  the  door,  By  Allah, 
I  will  not  open  to  thee,  O  my  mistress  Meriar  Elsena.  and  to  thy  husband 
Hassan,  unless  ye  will  obey  me  in  that  which  I  shall  say  to  you.  And 
when  they  heard  these  words  from  that  person,  they  were  silent,  and  de- 
sired to  return  to  the  place  in  which  they  had  been.  But  a  speaker  said, 
Wherefore  have  ye  kept  silence,  and  not  returned  me  a  reply  ?  And 
thereupon  they  knew  the  person  who  spoke,  who  was  the  old  woman  Sha- 
wahi  the  Mother  of  Sorrows.  So  they  said  to  her,  Whatsoever  thou  shalt 
command  us  to  do,  we  will  do  it.  But  open  to  us  the  door  first;  for  this 
time  is  not  a  time  to  talk.  She,  however,  replied,  By  Allah,  I  will  not  open 
to  you  until  ye  swear  to  me  that  ye  will  take  me  with  you,  and  not  leave 
me  with  this  profligate  woman  ;  and  whatsoever  shall  befall  you  shall  befall 
me:  if  ye  be  preserved,  I  shall  be  preserved;  and  if  ye  perish,  I  shall 
perish;  for  this  wicked,  vicious  woman  despiseth  me,  and  constantly  tortur- 
eth  me  on  your  account;  and  thou,  O  my  daughter,  knowest  my  worth. 
Therefore,  when  they  knew  her,  they  confided  in  her,  and  swore  to  her 
by  oaths  which  she  trusted  in ;  after  which  she  opened  to  them  the  door, 
and  they  went  forth ;  and  they  found  her  riding  upon  a  red  earthen  jar  of 
Greek  manufacture,  upon  the  neck  of  which  was  a  rope  of  the  fibers  of  the 
palm-tree,  and  it  was  turning  about  beneath  her,  and  moving  with  a  speed 
greater  than  that  of  the  Nejdee  colt.  She  then  came  before  them  and  said 
414 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSOKA. 

to  them,  Follow  ine,  and  be  not  terrified  at  aught;  for  I  know  forty  modes 
of  enchantment,  by  the  least  of  which  I  could  make  this  city  a  roaring  sea 
agitated  with  waves,  and  enchant  every  damsel  in  it  so  that  she  would  be- 
come a  fish.  All  that  could  I  do  before  the  morning;  but  I  was  unable  to 
do  aught  of  that  mischief  by  reason  of  my  fear  of  the  king,  the  father  of 
Nour  Elhada,  and  from  regard  to  her  sisters;  for  they  derive  might  from 
the  great  number  of  their  guards,  and  tribes,  and  servants.  However,  I 
will  show  you  the  wonders  of  my  enchantment.  Then  proceed  with  us, 
relying  upon  the  blessing  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  and  his  aid. 
So  thereupon  Hassan  and  his  wife  rejoiced,  and  felt  sure  of  escape. 

They  went  forth  to  the  exterior  of  the  city,  and  Hassan,  taking  the  rod 
in  his  hand,  struck  with  it  the  ground,  and  fortified  his  heart,  and  said,  O 
servants  of  these  names,  present  yourselves  to  me,  and  acquaint  me  with 
your  brethren  !  And  lo,  the  earth  clove  asunder,  and  there  came  forth 
from  it  seven  Afrites,  each  of  them  having  his  feet  in  the  lowest  limits  of 
the  earth,  and  his  head  in  the  clouds.  They  kissed  the  ground  before  Has- 
san three  times,  and  all  of  them  said,  with  one  voice,  At  thy  service,  O  our 
master,  and  ruler  over  us  !  What  dost  thou  command  us  to  do  ?  For  we 
will  hear  and  obey  thy  command.  If  thou  desire,  we  will  dry  up  for  thee 
the  seas,  and  remove  for  thee  the  mountains  from  their  places.  So  Hassan 
was  rejoiced  at  their  words,  and  at  the  quickness  of  their  reply ;  and  he 
encouraged  his  heart,  and  fortified  his  mind  and  resolution,  and  said  to  them, 
Who  are  ye,  and  what  are  ye  called,  and  from  what  tribes  are  ye  derived, 
and  of  what  race  are  ye,  and  of  what  tribe,  and  of  what  company  ?  Upon 
this  they  kissed  the  ground  a  second  time,  and  answered  with  one  voice, 
We  are  seven  kings;  each  king  of  us  ruleth  over  seven  tribes  of  the  Genii, 
and  the  Devils,  and  the  Marids  :  so  Ave  seven  kings  rule  over  nine-and-forty 
tribes  of  all  the  races  of  the  Genii,  and  the  Devils,  and  the  Marids,  and  the 
companies,  and  the  spirits,  the  Flyers  and  the  Divers,  and  the  dwellers  in 
the  mountains,  and  the  deserts,  and  the  wastes,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
seas.  Order  us  to  do  what  thou  wilt ;  for  we  are  thy  servants  and  slaves  ; 
and  whoever  possesseth  this  rod,  he  hath  authority  over  the  necks  of  us  all, 
and  we  become  obedient  unto  him.  When  Hassan,  therefore,  heard  their 
words,  he  rejoiced  greatly,  as  did  also  his  wife  and  the  old  woman;  and 
thereupon  Hassan  said  to  the  Genii,  I  desire  of  you  that  ye  show  jne  your 
company,  and  your  troops,  and  your  guards.  But  they  replied,  O  our 
master,  if  we  showed  thee  our  company,  we  should  fear  for  thee  and  for 
those  who  are  with  thee;  for  it  consists  of  numerous  troops,  of  various 
forms,  and  make,  and  kinds,  and  faces,  and  bodies.  Among  us  are  heads 
without  bodies,  and  among  us  are  bodies  without  heads,  and  among  us  are 
some  like  the  wild  beasts,  and  among  us  are  some  like  animals  of  prey. 
However,  if  thou  desire  that,  we  must  exhibit  to  thee  first  those  who  are 
like  the  wild  beasts.  Hut,  O  our  master,  what  dost,  thou  desire  of  us  at  this 
present  time  ?  So  Hassan  said  to  them,  1  desire  of  you  that  ye  carry  me, 
and  my  wife,  and  this  virtuous  woman  immediately  to  the  city  of  Bagdad. 
But  when  they  heard  his  winds,  they  hung  down  their  heads.  Therefore 
1  [assan  said  to  them.  Why  do  ye  not  reply  .'  And  they  said  with  one  voice, 
()  master  and  ruler  over  us,  we  have  existed  from  the  time  of  the  Lord 
Solomon  the  son  of  David  (on  both  of  whom  be  peace  !),  and  he  made  us 
swear  that  wo  would  not  carry  any  one  of  the  sons  of  Adam  upon  our 
backs  ;  so  from  that  time  wo  have  not  carried  any  one  of  the  sons  of  Adam 

415 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 


The  seven  Afrites  sumiiioued  by  means  of  the  rod. 

upon  our  shoulders  nor  upon  our  backs  ;  but  we  will  immediately  saddle 
for  thee,  of  the  horses  of  the  Genii,  such  as  will  convey  thee  to  thy  coun- 
try, thee  and  those  that  are  with  thee. 

Upon  this  Hassan  said  to  them,  And  what  distance  is  between  us  and 
Bagdad  ?     They  answered  him,  A  distance  of  seven  years'  journey  to  the 
horseman  who  traveleth  with  diligence.     And  Hassan  wondered  thereat, 
416 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

and  said  to  them,  How  came  I  hither  in  less  than  a  year?  They  answer- 
ed him,  Hod  moved  the  hearts  of  his  virtuous  servants  with  compassion  for 
thee ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  that,  thou  hadst  not  gained  access  to  this 
country  and  region,  nor  ever  beheld  it  with  thine  eye.  For  the  Sheikh 
Abdelcadus,  who  mounted  thee  on  the  elephant,  mounted  thee  also  on  the 
fortunate  courser,  which  traversed  with  thee,  in  ten  days,  a  space  of  three 
years' journey  to  the  horseman  who  proceedeth  with  diligence;  and  as  to 
the  Sheikh  Aboulruish,  who  committed  thee  to  Dahnash,  that  Afrite  trav- 
ersed with  thee,  during  the  day  and  the  night,  a  space  of  three  years'  jour- 
ney. This  was  effected  through  the  blessing  of  God,  the  Great;  for  the 
Sheikh  Aboulruish  is  of  the  posterity  of  Asaph  the  son  of  Barkia,  and  he 
knoweth  the  Most  Great  name  of  God.  And  from  Bagdad  to  the  palace 
of  the  damsels  is  a  year's  journey.  So  these  make  up  the  seven  years. 
And  when  Hassan  heard  their  words,  he  wondered  greatly,  and  said,  Ex- 
tolled be  the  perfection  of  God,  who  maketh  easy  what  is  difficult,  and  re- 
paireth  the  broken  heart,  and  bringeth  near  what  is  distant,  and  abaseth 
every  obstinate  tyrant,  who  hath  rendered  every  thing  easy  to  us,  and  con- 
veyed me  to  this  country,  and  made  subservient  to  me  these  people,  and 
reunited  me  to  my  wife  and  my  children  !  I  know  not  whether  I  be  sleep- 
ing or  awake,  or  whether  I  be  in  1113'  senses  or  intoxicated.  He  then  look- 
ed toward  them  and  said  to  them,  When  ye  have  mounted  me  upon  your 
horses,  in  how  many  days  will  they  arrive  with  us  at  Bagdad  ?  They  an- 
swered, They  will  arrive  with  thee  in  less  than  a  year,  after  thou  shalt 
have  endured  difficulties,  and  troubles,  and  horrors,  and  traversed  thirsty 
valleys,  and  dismal  wastes,  and  deserts,  and  dangerous  places  great  in  num- 
ber ;  and  we  shall  not  be  sure  of  thy  safety,  O  our  master,  from  the  people 
of  these  islands,  nor  from  the  malice  of  the  supreme  king,  nor  from  these 
enchanters  and  sorcerers.  Perhaps  they  will  overcome  us,  and  take  you 
from  us,  and  we  shall  be  afflicted  by  them  ;  and  every  one  whom  the  news 
reacheth  after  that  will  say  to  us,  Ye  are  the  unjust.  How  did  ye  go  against 
the  supreme  king,  and  convey  the  human  being  from  his  country,  and  con- 
vey also  his  daughter  with  you  ?  Wert  thou  alone  with  us,  the  affair  were 
easy  to  us ;  but  He  who  caused  thee  to  gain  access  to  these  islands  is  able 
to  cause  thee  to  arrive  at  thy- country,  and  to  reunite  thee  to  thy  mother 
soon,  at  no  distant  period.  Therefore  bo  resolute,  and  depend  upon  God, 
and  fear  not;  for  we  are  at  thy  service  until  we  cause  thee  to  reach  thy 
country.  So  Hassan  thanked  them  for  that,  and  said  to  them,  May  God 
recompense  you  well !  Then  he  said  to  them,  Hasten  with  the  horses. 
And  they  replied,  We  hear  and  obey. 

They  then  struck  the  ground  with  their  feet ;  whereupon  it  clove 
asunder,  and  they  were  absent  within  it  a  while ;  after  which  they  pre- 
sented themselves,  and  lo,  they  had  come  up  bringing  with  them  three 
horses,  saddled  and  bridled,  and  on  the  fore  part  of  each  saddle  was  a  pair 
of  saddle-bags,  in  one  side  of  which  was  a  leathern  bottle  full  of  water,  and 
the  other  side  was  full  of  food.  They  brought  forward  the  horses,  and 
Hassan  mounted  a  courser,  taking  a  child  before  him  ;  and  his  wife  mounted 
the  second  courser,  and  took  a  child  before  her.  Then  the  old  woman 
alighted  from  the  jar,  and  mounted  the  third  courser.  And  they  departed, 
and  ceased  not  to  proceed  all  the  night,  until  the  morning  camo,  when  they 
turned  aside  from  the  way  and  went  toward  the  mountains,  their  tongues 
ceasing  not  from  the  mention  of  God.  They  proceeded  all  tho  day  be- 
s*  417 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


neath  the  mountain  ;  and  while  they  were  journeying  on,  Hassan  beheld  a 
phantom-like  form,  resembling  a  pillar,  and  it  was  lofty,  like  smoke  ascend- 
ing to  the  sky.  So  he  recited  somewhat 
of  the  Koran,  and  begged  for  refuge  with 
God  from  Satan  the  accursed.  Then  that 
black  object  appeared  more  plainly  the 
nearer  they  approached  to  it ;  and  when 
they  came  near  to  it,  they  found  it  to  be 
an  Afrite,  whose  head  was  like  a  huge 
dome,  and  his  dog-teeth  were  like  hooks, 
and  his  nostrils  like  ewers,  and  his  ears 
like  shields,  and  his  mouth  was  like  a  cav- 
ern, and  his  teeth  were  like  pillars  of  stone, 
and  his  hands  like  winnowing-forks,  and 
his  legs  like  masts  ;  his  head  was  amid 
the  clouds,  and  his  feet  were  in  the  low- 
est limits  of  the  earth,  beneath  the  dust. 
And  when  Hassan  looked  at  the  Afrite, 
the  Afrite  bowed  himself  and  kissed  the 
ground  before  him,  and  said  to  him,  O 
Hassan,  fear  me  not.  I  am  chief  of  the 
inhabitants  of  this  land,  and  this  is  the  first 
island  of  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak.  I  am 
a  Mohammedan,  a  professor  of  the  unity 
of  God  ;  and  I  heard  of  you,  and  knew 
of  your  coming ;  and  when  I  became  ac- 
quainted with  your  state,  I  desired  to 
journey  from  the  country  of  the  enchant- 
ers to  another  land  devoid  of  inhabitants, 
remote  from  human  beings  and  the  Genii, 
that  I  might  live  therein  solitary,  by  my- 
self, and  worship  God  until  my  appointed 
term  overtake  me.  I  therefore  desired 
to  accompany  you,  and  to  be  your  guide 
until  ye  go  forth  from  these  islands,  and  I 
will  not  appear  save  by  night.  So  com- 
fort your  hearts  with  regard  to  me,  for  I 
am  a  Mohammedan,  like  as  ye 
are  Mohammedans.  And  when 
Hassan  heard  the  wrords  of  the 
Afrite,  he  rejoiced  exceedingly, 
and  felt  sure  of  escape.  Then, 
looking  toward  him,  he  said  to 
him,  May  God  recompense  thee 
well !  Proceed  with  us,  relying 
upon  the  blessing  of  God.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  Afrite  went  before 
them,  and  they  betook  them- 
selves to  conversing  and  sport- 
ing. Their  hearts  had  become 
happy,  and  their  bosoms  were 
418 


Another  Afrite  presenting  himself  to  Hassan 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

dilated ;  and  Hassan  proceeded  to  relate  to  his  wife  all  that  had  happened 
to  him,  and  what  he  had  endured.  They  ceased  not  to  prosecute  their 
journey  all  the  next  night,  until  the  morning,  the  horses  bearing  them 
along  like  the  blinding  lightning  ;  and  when  daylight  rose,  they  put  their 
hands  to  their  several  saddle-bags,  and  each  took  forth  something  thence 
and  ate  it,  and  took  forth  water  and  drank  it.  Then  they  pursued  their 
way  with  diligence,  and  continued  to  proceed,  with  the  Afrite  before 
them  ;  but  he  had  turned  aside  with  them  from  the  way  to  another  way, 
which  was  not  a  beaten  route,  along  the  shore  of  the  sea. 

They  ceased  not  to  traverse  the  valleys  and  the  wastes  for  the  space  of 
a  whole  month  ;  and  on  the  thirty-first  day  there  arose  against  them  a  dust 
that  obstructed  the  view  of  the  surrounding  tracts,  and  the  day  was  dark- 
ened by  it.  So  when  Hassan  beheld  it,  paleness  came  upon  him  ;  and 
they  heard  alarming  noises,  and  the  old  woman,  looking  toward  Hassan, 
said  to  him,  O  my  son,  these  are  the  troops  of  the  Islands  of  Wak- Wak  : 
they  have  overtaken  us,  and  immediately  will  they  take  us  in  their  grasp. 
Hassan  therefore  said  to  her,  What  shall  I  do,  O  my  mother  ?  And  she 
answered  him,  Strike  the  earth  with  the  rod.  Wherefore  he  did  so  ;  and 
the  seven  kings  came  up  to  him  and  saluted  him,  and,  having  kissed  the 
ground  before  him,  said  to  him,  Fear  not,  nor  grieve.  So  Hassan  rejoiced 
at  their  words,  and  said,  Ye  have  done  well,  O  Lords  of  the  Genii  and 
Afrites.  This  is  your  time.  And  they  said  to  him,  Ascend,  with  thy 
wife  and  thy  children,  and  her  who  is  with  thee,  upon  the  mountain,  and 
leave  us  with  them;  for  we  know  that  ye  are  in  the  right,  and  they  are 
in  the  wrong,  and  God  will  defend  us  against  them.  Therefore  Hassan 
and  his  wife,  and  his  children,  and  the  old  woman  alighted  from  the  backs 
of  the  horses,  and,  having  dismissed  the  horses,  ascended  upon  the  side  of 
the  mountain.  Then  the  Queen  Nour  Elhada  approached,  with  troops 
disposed  on  the  right  and  left,  and  the  chiefs  went  around  them,  and  ranged 
them  company  by  company.  The  two  armies  met,  and  the  two  hosts 
dashed  against  each  other,  and  the  fires  raged,  and  the  heroes  advanced 
boldly,  and  the  coward  fled,  and  the  Genii  cast  forth  from  their  mouths 
burning  sparks,  until  the  thickly  dark  night  approached.  Thereupon  the 
two  hosts  separated,  and  the  two  parties  retired  from  each  other ;  and 
when  they  alighted  from  their  horses,  and  rested  upon  the  ground,  they 
lighted  the  fires,  and  the  seven  kings  went  up  to  Hassan,  and  kissed  the 
ground  before  him.  So  he  advanced  to  them  and  thanked  them,  and  prayed 
for  them  that  they  might  be  rendered  victorious;  and  he  asked  them  re- 
specting their  state  with  regard  to  the  army  of  the  Queen  Nour  Elhada ; 
upon  which  they  said  to  him,  They  will  not  withstand  lis  more  than  three 
days ;  for  we  were  to-day  about  to  overcome  them.  We  have  seized  of 
them  as  many  as  two  thousand,  and  slain  of  them  a  great  multitude,  the 
number  of  which  can  not  be  calculated.  Therefore,  let  thy  soul  be  happy, 
and  thy  bosom  be  dilated.  They  then  bade  him  farewell,  and  descended 
to  their  army,  to  guard  it.  They  ceased  not  to  light  the  fires  until  the 
morning  rose  and  dillused  its  light  and  shone,  when  the  horsemen  mount- 
ed the  five-year-old  horses,  and  smote  one  another  with  the  thin-edged 
swords,  and  thrust  one  another  with  the  brown  speai-s,  and  they  passed  the 
nighf  upon  the  backs  of  the  horses,  dashing  together  like  seas,  and  the  fire 
of  war  raged  among  them.  They  ceased  not  to  fight  and  contend  until  the 
troops  of  Wak- Wak  were  defeated,  and  their  power  was  broken,  and  their 

419 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA 


Battle  with  the  troops  of  Wak-Wak. 


resolution  fell,  and  their  feet  slipped  ;  and  whithersoever  they  fled,  defeat 
was  before  them.  They  turned  their  backs  and  placed  their  reliance  upon 
flight.  The  greater  number  of  them  were  slain,  and  the  Queen  Nour  El- 
hada  was  taken  captive,  together  with  the  grandees  of  her  kingdom,  and 
her  chief  officers. 

And  when  the  morning  came,  the  seven  kings  presented  themselves  be- 
fore Hassan,  and  set  for  him  a  couch  of  alabaster  ornamented  with  fine 
pearls  and  with  jewels;  and  he  seated  himself  upon  it.  They  also  set  by 
it  another  couch,  for  the  Lady  Menar  Elsena,  his  wife,  and  that  couch  was 
of  ivory  overlaid  with  brilliant  gold.  And  by  the  side  of  it  they  set  anoth- 
er couch,  for  the  old  woman  Shawahi  the  Mother  of  Sorrows.  Then  they 
420 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

brought  forward  the  prisoners  before  Hassan,  and  among  them  the  Queen 
Nour  Elhada,  who  had  her  hands  bound  behind  her,  and  her  feet  shackled. 
And  when  the  old  woman  saw  her,  she  said  to  her,  Thy  recompense,  O 
wicked,  O  tyrannical  woman,  shall  be  none  other  than  this  :  that  one  shall 
make  two  bitches  hungry,  and  tie  them  with  thee  to  the  tails  of  horses, 
and  drive  them  to  the  sea,  that  thy  skin  may  be  Lacerated ;  and  after  that 
some  of  thy  flesh  shall  be  cut  off  and  given  thee  to  eat.  How  didst  thou 
do  to  thy  sister  these  deeds,  O  wicked  woman,  seeing  that  she  married 
lawfully,  according  to  the  ordinance  of  God  and  his  Apostle  ?  For  there 
is  no  monkery  in  the  True  Faith,  and  marriage  is  one  of  the  ordinances 
of  the  Apostles  (on  whom  be  peace  .')  ;  and  women  were  not  created  save 
for  men.  And  thereupon  Hassan  gave  orders  to  slay  all  the  captives ;  and 
the  old  woman  cried  out,  and  said,  Slay  ye  them,  and  let  not  one  of  them 
remain  !  But  when  the  Queen  Menar  Elsena  saw  her  sister  in  this  state, 
shackled,  and  in  captivity,  she  wept  for  her,  and  said  to  her,  O  my  sister, 
and  who  is  this  who  hath  made  us  captives  in  our  country,  and  overcome 
us  ?  She  answered  her,  This  is  a  momentous  case.  Verily  this  man 
whose  name  is  Hassan  hath  gained  possession  of  us,  and  God  hath  given 
him  power  over  us  and  over  all  our  kingdom,  and  he  hath  subjugated  us 
and  the  Kings  of  the  Genii.  And  her  sister  replied,  God  aided  him  not 
against  you,  nor  did  he  subdue  you,  nor  did  he  make  you  prisoners,  save 
by  means  of  this  cap  and  this  rod.  So  her  sister  was  convinced  of  that, 
and  knew  that  he  had  delivered  her  by  these  means  :  and  she  humbled 
herself  to  her  sister  until  her  heart  was  affected  with  sympathy  for  her, 
and  she  said  to  her  husband  Hassan,  What  dost  thou  desire  to  do  with  my 
sister  ?  For  here  she  is  before  thee,  and  she  hath  not  committed  an  abom- 
inable deed  that  thou  shouldst  punish  her  for  it.  He  replied,  Her  torture 
of  thee  was  sufficiently  abominable.  But  she  said  to  him,  For  every  abom- 
inable deed  that  she  did  to  me  she  was  excusable.  And  as  to  thee,  thou 
hast  tortured  my  father's  heart  by  reason  of  the  loss  of  me,  and  how  will 
be  his  state  after  the  death  of  my  sister  ?  So  Hassan  said  to  her,  It  is 
thine  to  determine.  Whatever  thou  desirest,  do  it.  And  thereupon  the 
Queen  Menar  Elsena  gave  orders  to  loose  all  the  prisoners  ;  and  they 
loosed  them  for  the  sake  of  her  sister,  and  loosed  her  sister  also  ;  after 
which  Menar  Elsena  advanced  to  her  sister  and  embraced  her.  She  be- 
gan to  weep  with  her,  and  they  ceased  not  to  do  so  for  some  time.  Then 
the  Queen  Nour  Elhada  said  to  her  sister,  O  my  sister,  blame  me  not  for 
that  which  I  have  done  to  thee.  And  the  Lady  Menar  Elsena  replied, 
O  my  sister,  this  was  decreed  to  befall  me. 

She  and  her  sister  sat  upon  the  couch,  conversing  together;  and  aft- 
erward Menar  Elsena  made  a  reconciliation  between  the  old  woman  and 
her  sister  in  the  most  perfect  manner,  and  their  hearts  became  comforted. 
Hassan  then  dismissed  the  troops  who  were  in  the  service  of  the  rod,  and 
thanked  them  for  that  which  they  had  done  in  aiding  him  against  his  ene- 
mies;  after  which  the  Lady  Menar  Klsena  related  to  her  sister  all  that 
had  happened  to  her  with  her  husband  Hassan,  and  all  that  had  happened 
to  him,  and  what  he  had  endured  for  her  sake.  And  she  said  to  her,  O 
my  sister,  it  is  incumbent  upon  one  not  to  neglect  what  is  due  to  a  person 
who  hath  done  these  deeds,  and  who  hath  this  power,  and  whom  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  hath  aided  by  such  exceeding  fortitude  that  he 
hath  eutered  our  country,  and  taken  thee  and  made  thee  a  prisoner,  and 

421 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

defeated  thine  army,  and  subdued  thy  father  the  supreme  king,  who  rulelh 
over  the  kings  of  the  Genii.  Her  sister  replied,  By  Allah,  O  my  sister, 
thou  hast  spoken  truth  in  that  which  thou  hast  told  me  respecting  the  won- 
derful events  that  this  man  hath  endured.  And  was  all  this  for  thy  sake, 
O  my  sister  ?  She  answered,  Yes.  Then  they  passed  the  night  convers- 
ing together  till  the  morning ;  and  when  the  sun  rose,  they  desired  to  de- 
part. So  they  bade  one  another  farewell,  and  Menar  Elsena  bade  fare- 
well to  the  old  woman,  having  made  a  reconciliation  between  her  and  her 
sister  Nour  Elhada. 

Thereupon  Hassan  struck  the  earth  with  the  rod,  and  its  servants  came 
up  to  him  and  saluted  him,  and  said  to  him,  Praise  be  to  God  for  the  quiet 
of  thy  soul !  Command  us  to  do  what  thou  desirest,  that  we  may  do  it 
for  thee  in  less  time  than  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  He  therefore  thanked 
them  for  their  words,  and  said  to  them,  May  God  recompense  you  well ! 
He  then  said  to  them,  Saddle  for  us  two  coursers,  of  the  best  of  horses. 
And  they  did  as  he  commanded  them  immediately,  and  brought  forward 
to  him  two  saddled  coursers.  So  Hassan  mounted  one  of  them,  taking  his 
elder  son  before  him  ;  and  his  wife  mounted  the  other,  taking  her  younger 
son  before  her.  The  Queen  Nour  Elhada  also  mounted,  with  the  old 
woman  ;  and  all  went  to  their  countries.  Hassan  with  his  wife  journeyed 
to  the  right,  and  the  Queen  Nour  Elhada  with  the  old  woman  journeyed 
to  the  left ;  and  Hassan  ceased  not  to  proceed  with  his  wife  and  his  chil- 
dren for  the  space  of  a  whole  month;  after  which  they  came  in  sight  of  a 
city,  around  which  they  found  fruits  and  rivers  ;  and  when  they  arrived 
at  the  trees,  they  alighted  from  the  backs  of  the  horses,  desiring  to  rest. 
Then  they  sat  conversing  together;  and  lo,  many  horsemen  advanced  to 
them.  So  when  Hassan  saw  them,  he  rose  upon  his  feet  and  met  them ; 
and  behold,  they  were  the  King  Hasoun,  the  lord  of  the  Laud  of  Camphor 
and  the  Castle  of  Crystal,  with  his  attendants.  Thereupon  Hassan  ad- 
vanced to  the  king,  and  kissed  his  hands  and  saluted  him ;  and  when  the 
king  saw  him,  he  alighted  from  the  back  of  his  courser,  and  seated  himself 
with  Hassan  upon  furniture  spread  beneath  the  trees,  after  he  had  saluted 
him  and  congratulated  him  on  his  safety;  and  he  was  rejoiced  exceedingly 
at  his  return,  and  said  to  him,  O  Hassan,  acquaint  me  with  the  events  that 
have  happened  to  thee  from  beginning  to  end.  So  Hassan  acquainted  him 
with  all  those  events  ;  and  the  King  Hasoun  wondered  at  them,  and  said 
to  him,  O  my  son,  no  one  ever  obtained  access  to  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak, 
and  returned  from  them,  excepting  thee,  and  thy  case  is  wonderful.  But 
praise  be  to  God  for  thy  safety  !  Then,  after  that,  the  king  arose  and 
mounted,  ordering  Hassan  to  mount  and  accompany  him  ;  wherefore  he 
did  so,  and  they  ceased  not  to  proceed  until  they  came  to  the  city,  and  they 
entered  the  king's  palace.  The  King  Hasoun  alighted,  and  Hassan,  and 
his  wife,  and  his  children,  alighted  at  the  mansion  of  entertainment;  and 
when  they  had  alighted,  they  remained  with  the  king  three  days,  eating 
and  drinking,  and  enjoying  sport  and  mirth. 

Hassan  then  begged  permission  of  the  King  Hasoun  that  he  might 
journey  to  his  country,  and  he  gave  him  permission.  So  he  mounted 
with  his  wife  and  his  children,  and  the  king  mouuted  with  them,  and  they 
proceeded  ten  days ;  and  when  the  king  desired  to  return,  he  bade  Hassan 
farewell,  and  Hassan  continued  his  journey  with  his  wife  and  his  children. 
They  ceased  not  to  journey  on  for  the  space  of  another  whole  month,  after 
422 


The  KiDg  Hasoun  approaching  Hassau. 

which  they  came  in  sight  of  a  great 
cavern,  the  ground  of  which  was  of 
brass  ;  whereupon  Hassan  said  to  his 
wife,  See  this  cavern.  Dost  thou 
know  it  ?  She  answered,  Yes.  And 
he  said,  In  it  is  a  sheikh  named  Aboul- 
ruish,  to  whom  I  am  greatly  indebt- 
ed ;  for  he  was  the  cause  of  the  ac- 
quaintance between  me  and  the  King 
Hasoun.  And  he  proceeded  to  re- 
late to  his  wife  the  story  of  Aboulruish,  and  lo,  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish 
came  forth  from  the  entrance  of  the  cavern.  So  when  Hassan  saw  him, 
he  alighted  from  his  courser  and  kissed  his  hands,  and  the  Sheikh  Aboul- 
ruish saluted  him,  and  congratulated  him  on  his  safety.  He  rejoiced  at 
his  arrival,  and  took  him  and  conducted  him  into  the  cavern,  and  sat  with 
him ;  and  Hassan  proceeded  to  tell  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish  what  had  hap- 
pened to  him  in  the  Islands  of  Wak-Wak  ;  whereat  the  sheikh  wondered 
extremely;  and  he  said.  O  Hassan,  how  didst  thou  deliver  thy  wife  and 
thy  children  ?  Hassan  therefore  related  to  him  the  story  of  the  rod  and 
the  cap  ;  and  when  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish  heard  that  story  he  wondered, 
and  said,  O  Hassan,  O  my  son,  had  it  not  been  for  this  rod  and  this  cap, 
thou  conldst  not  have  delivered  thy  wife  and  thy  children.  And  Hassau 
replied,  Even  so,  O  my  master. 

Now  while  they  were  speaking,  a  person  knocked  at  the  door  of  the 
cavern  :  so  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish  went  forth  and  opened  the  door,  and  he 
found  that  the  Sheikh  Abdclcadus  had  come,  riding  upon  the  elephant. 
The  Sheikh  Aboulruish  therefore  advanced,  and  saluted  and  embraced  him, 

423 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

rejoicing  greatly  at  his  arrival,  and  congratulated  him  on  his  safety  ;  after 
which  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish  said  to  Hassan,  Relate  to  the  Sheikh  Abd- 
elcadus  all  that  hath  happened  to  thee,  O  Hassan.  So  Hassan  proceeded 
to  relate  to  the  sheikh  all  that  had  happened  to  him  from  first  to  last,  until 
he  came  to  the  story  of  the  rod  and  the  cap;  whereupon  the  Sheikh  Abd- 
elcadus  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  as  to  thee,  thou  hast  delivered  thy  wife 
and  thy  children,  and  thou  hast  no  longer  any  need  of  the  rod  and  the  cap  ; 
but  as  to  us,  we  were  the  cause  of  thy  gaining  access  to  the  Islands  of 
Wak-Wak,  and  I  have  acted  kindly  to  thee  for  the  sake  of  the  daughters 
of  my  brother,  and  I  beg  thee,  of  thy  bounty  and  beneficence,  to  give  me 
the  rod,  and  to  give  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish  the  cap.  And  when  Hassan 
heard  the  words  of  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus,  he  hung  down  his  head  toward 
the  ground,  and  was  ashamed  to  say,  I  will  not  give  them  to  you.  Then 
he  said  within  himself,  Verily  these  two  sheikhs  have  done  a  great  kind- 
ness to  me,  and  they  were  the  cause  of  my  gaining  access  to  the  Islands 
of  Wak-Wak,  and  but  for  them  I  had  not  arrived  at  these  places,  nor  had 
I  delivered  my  wife  and  my  children,  nor  had  I  got  this  rod  and  this  cap. 
And  he  raised  his  head,  and  said,  Yes,  I  will  give  them  to  you.  But,  O 
my  masters,  verily  I  fear  the  supreme  king,  the  father  of  my  wife,  lest  he 
come  to  me  with  troops  into  our  country,  and  they  fight  against  me,  and 
I  shall  not  be  able  to  repel  them  save  by  means  of  the  rod  and  the  cap. 
The  Sheikh  Abdelcadus,  however,  replied,  O  my  son,  fear  not ;  for  we 
will  be  to  thee  a  spy  and  a  helper  in  this  place,  and  whosoever  shall  come 
to  thee  from  the  father  of  thy  wife,  we  will  repel  him  from  thee.  Fear 
not  any  thing  whatever  ;  but  be  of  good  heart,  and  cheerful  eye,  and  dilated 
bosom.  No  harm  shall  befall  thee.  So  when  Hassan  heard  the  words  of 
the  sheikh,  bashfulness  affected  him,  and  he  gave  the  cap  to  the  Sheikh 
Aboulruish,  and  said  to  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus,  Accompany  me  to  my 
country,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  rod.  And  the  two  sheikhs  rejoiced 
thereat  exceedingly,  and  prepared  for  Hassan  riches  and  treasures  that  cau 
not  be  described. 

He  remained  with  them  three  days ;  and  after  that  he  desired  to  con- 
tinue his  journey  ;  wherefore  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  prepared  himself  to 
journey  with  him.  And  when  Hassan  had  mounted  a  beast,  and  mounted 
his  wife  upon  another,  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  whistled,  and  lo,  a  huge 
elephant  advanced  trotting  from  the  further  part  of  the  desert,  and  the 
Sheikh  Abdelcadus  took  him  and  mounted  upon  him,  and  proceeded  with 
Hassan,  and  his  wife,  and  his  children.  But  as  to  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish, 
he  entered  the  cavern.  Hassan,  and  his  wife,  and  his  children,  and  the 
Sheikh  Abdelcadus,  ceased  not  to  pursue  their  journey,  traversing  the 
land  in  its  length  and  breadth,  the  sheikh  guiding  them  by  an  easy  way 
and  near  roads,  until  they  drew  near  to  the  couutry  that  they  sought;  and 
Hassan  rejoiced  at  his  approach  toward  the  country  of  his  mother,  and 
at  the  return  of  his  wife  and  his  children  to  him.  On  his  arrival  at  the 
country  [of  his  sisters],  after  these  arduous,  horrible  events,  he  praised 
God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  for  this,  and  thanked  Him  for  his  grace 
and  bounty,  and  recited  these  verses  : 

Perhaps,  in  a  short  time,  God  will  unite  us,  and  we  shall  be  encircled  in  each 

other's  arms, 
And  I  shall  tell  you  the  most  wonderful  of  the  events  that  have  befallen  me,  and 

what  I  have  suffered  from  the  pain  of  separation, 
424 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 


The  elephant  of  Abd 


And  I  shall  cure  mine  eye  by  looking-  at  you ;  for  my  heart  is  in  a  state  of  longing 

desire. 
I  have  hidden  a  story  for  you  in  my  mind,  that  I  may  relate  it  to  you  when  we 

meet. 
I  will  reproach  you  for  the  actions  that  have  proceeded  from  you,  with  a  reproach 

that  shall  end ;  but  affection  will  remain. 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  looked,  and  lo,  the  green  cupola 
appeared  to  them,  and  the  pool,  and  the  green  palace,  and  the  Mountain 
of  the  Clouds  appeared  to  them  in  the  distance.  So  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus 
said,  O  Hassan,  rejoice  at  the  prospect  of  good  fortune ;  for  thou  wilt  this 
night  be  a  guest  with  the  daughters  of  my  brother.  Therefore  Hassan 
rejoiced  thereat  exceedingly,  and  so  did  his  wife.  Then  they  alighted  at 
the  cupola,  and  rested,  and  ate  and  drank  ;  after  which  they  mounted  again, 
and  proceeded  until  they  drew  near  to  the  palace. 

Upon  this  the  daughters  of  the  brother  of  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  came 
forth  to  them  and  met  them,  and  saluted  them  and  their  uncle,  and  their 
uncle  saluted  them,  and  said  to  them,  O  daughters  of  my  brother,  see,  I 
have  accomplished  the  affair  of  your  brother  Hassan,  and  aided  him  to  de- 
liver his  wife  and  his  children.  So  the  damsels  advanced  to  him  and  em- 
braced him,  rejoicing  at  his  return,  and  congratulated  him  on  his  safety 
and  health,  and  his  reunion  to  his  wife  and  his  children;  and  it  was  to  them 
a  festival  day.  Then  the  sister  of  Hassan,  the  youngest  damsel,  advanced 
aud  embraced  him,  and  wept  violently.     Hassan  also  wept  with  her,  on 

425 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

account  of  the  length  of  his  desolate  state ;  and  she  complained  to  him  of 
the  pain  of  separation  that  she  had  experienced,  and  the  trouble  of  her 
heart,  and  what  she  had  endured  in  consequence  of  his  absence,  and  recited 
these  two  verses  : 

Mine  eye  hath  not  looked,  since  thy  separation,  at  any  one  but  thy  form  appeared 
before  it ; 

Nor  hath  it  closed  without  my  seeing  thee  in  slumber,  as  though  thou  wast  dwell- 
ing between  the  eyelid  and  the  eye. 

And  when  she  had  finished  her  verses,  she  rejoiced  exceedingly ;  and 
Hassan  said  to  her,  O  my  sister,  I  thank  none  for  this  affair  but  thee, 
above  the  rest  of  my  sisters;  and  may  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  be 
thine  aider  and  assister !  He  then  related  to  her  all  that  had  befallen  him 
in  his  travel  bra  first  to  last,  and  what  he  had  endured,  and  what  had 
happened  to  him  with  the  sister  of  his  wife,  and  how  he  had  delivered  his 
wife  and  his  children.  He  told  her  also  of  the  wonders,  and  the  arduous 
and  horrible  events  that  he  had  witnessed,  that  the  sister  of  his  wife  had 
desired  to  slaughter  him,  and  to  slaughter  her  and  her  children,  and  that 
none  had  preserved  them  from  her  save  God,  whose  name  be  exalted ! 
After  that  he  related  to  her  the  story  of  the  rod  and  the  cap,  telling  her 
that  the  Sheikh  Aboulruish  and  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadns  had  demanded 
those  two  things  of  him,  and  that  he  had  not  given  them  to  them  but  for 
her  sake.  She  therefore  thanked  him  for  that,  and  prayed  for  long  life 
for  him ;  and  he  said,  By  Allah,  I  shall  not  forget  all  the  good  offices  that 
thou  hast  done  me  from  the  beginning  of  the  affair  to  its  end  !  Then  his 
sister  looked  toward  his  wife  Menar  Elsena,  and  embraced  her,  and  pressed 
her  children  to  her  bosom  ;  after  which  she  said  to  her,  O  daughter  of  the 
supreme  king,  was  there  no  mercy  in  thy  heart,  that  thou  separatedst  him 
and  his  children,  and  torturedst  his  heart  for  them  ?  Didst  thou  desire,  by 
doing  thus,  that  he  should  die  ?  And  she  laughed,  and  replied,  Thus  or- 
dained God  (whose  perfection  be  extolled,  and  whose  name  be  exalted  !) ; 
and  he  who  deceiveth  men,  him  doth  God  deceive.  Then  they  brought 
some  food  and  drink,  and  they  all  ate  and  drank,  and  were  happy.  Hassan 
remained  with  them  ten  days,  eating  and  drinking,  and  in  joy  and  happi- 
ness; and  after  the  ten  days  he  prepared  himself  for  his  journey.  His  sister 
thereupon  arose,  and  prepared  for  him  wealth  and  rarities  that  can  not  be 
described,  and  after  that  she  pressed  him  to  her  bosom,  to  bid  him  fare- 
well, and  embraced  him  ;  and  Hassan,  alluding  to  her,  recited  these  verses  : 

The  relinquishment  of  lovers  is  naught  but  remote,  and  quitting  one's  beloved  is 

naught  but  afflicting. 
And  cruelty  and  absence  are  naught  but  trouble,  and  the  victim  of  love  is  naught 

but  a  martyr. 
How  tedious  is  the  night  to  the  enamored  who  is  parted  from  his  true  love,  and 

hath  become  solitary  ! 
His  tears  run  down  upon  his  cheek,  and  he  saith,  Are  there  yet  any  more  tears  to 

flow? 

Then  Hassan  gave  the  Sheikh  Abdelcadus  the  rod,  and  he  rejoiced  in  it 
exceedingly,  and  thanked  Hassan  for  it ;  and  after  he  had  received  it  from 
him,  he  mounted  and  returned  to  his  abode. 

Hassan  then  mounted,  with  his  wife  and  his  children,  and  departed  from 
the  palace  of  the  damsels ;  and  they  went  forth  with  him,  aud  bade  him 
426 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

farewell,  after  which  they  returned.  Hassan  repaired  to  his  country,  pro- 
ceeding over  the  desert  tract  for  the  space  of  two  months  and  ten  days, 
until  he  arrived  at  the  city  of  Bagdad,  the  Abode  of  Peace  ;  and  he  came 
to  his  house  by  the  way  of  the  private  door  which  opened  toward  the  plain 
and  the  desert,  and  knocked  at  the  door.  His  mother,  on  account  of  the 
length  of  his  absence,  had  relinquished  sleep,  and  given  herself  continually 
to  mourning,  and  weeping,  and  wailing,  until  she  fell  sick,  and  ate  not  food, 
nor  delighted  in  sleep,  but  wept  night  and  day,  and  ceased  not  to  mention 
her  son.  She  had  despaired  of  his  return  to  her  ;  and  when  he  stood  at 
the  door,  he  heard  her  weeping,  and  reciting  these  verses  : 

By  Allah,  O  my  master,  cure  her  whom  you  have  made  sick ;  for  her  body  is 

emaciated  and  her  heart  is  broken ! 
If  you  grant  her  a  meeting  in  your  generosity,  the  enamored  will  be  overwhelmed 

with  the  favors  of  the  beloved. 
I  despair  not  of  your  approach  ;  for  God  can  effect  it ;  and  in  the  midst  of  difficulty 

prosperity  surrouiideth  one. 

And  when  she  had  ended  her  verses,  she  heard  her  son  Hassan  calling  out 
at  the  door,  O  my  mother,  verily  fortune  hath  granted  reunion  !  And  on 
her  hearing  his  words,  she  knew  him.  She  came  to  the  door  in  a  state 
between  that  of  believing  and  that  of  disbelieving;  and  when  she  opened 
the  door,  she  saw  her  son  standing  there  with  his  wife  and  his  children, 
and  she  cried  out  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  her  joy,  and  fell  upon  the 
ground  in  a  fit.  Hassan  therefore  ceased  not  to  soothe  her  until  she  re- 
covered, when  she  embraced  him,  and  then  she  wept ;  after  which  she 
called  his  pages  and  slaves,  and  ordered  them  to  bring  all  that  was  with  him 
into  the  house.  Accordingly,  they  brought  the  loads  into  the  house.  Then 
his  wife  and  his  children  entered,  and  his  mother  went  to  her  and  em- 
braced her,  and  kissed  her  head  and  kissed  her  feet,  and  said  to  her,  O 
daughter  of  the  supreme  king,  if  I  have  erred  in  not  doing  what  was  due 
to  thee,  lo,  I  beg  forgiveness  of  God,  the  Great.  And  looking  toward  her 
son,  she  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  what  was  the  cause  of  this  long  absence  ? 
So  when  she  asked  him  respecting  that,  he  acquainted  her  with  all  that 
had  happened  to  him  from  beginning  to  end  ;  and  on  her  hearing  his  words, 
she  uttered  a  great  cry,  and  again  fell  upon  the  ground  in  a  fit,  on  account 
of  the  mention  of  the  events  that  had  happened  to  her  son.  He  ceased 
not  to  soothe  her  until  she  recovered,  and  thereupon  she  said  to  him,  O 
my  son,  by  Allah,  thou  hast  acted  negligently  with  respect  to  the  rod  and 
the  cap;  for  if  thou  hadst  taken  care  of  them  and  preserved  them,  thou 
hadst  possessed  the  earth  in  its  length  and  breadth;  but  praise  be  to  God, 
O  my  son,  for  thy  safety,  and  for  that  of  thy  wife  and  thy  children  ! 

They  passed  a  most  agreeable  and  most  pleasant  night;  and  when  the 
morning  came,  Hassan  changed  his  clothes,  and  put  on  a  suit  of  the  most 
beautiful  material.  He  then  went  forth  to  the  market,  and  bought  male 
black  slaves  and  female  slaves,  and  stufi's  and  precious  things,  consisting  of 
ornaments  and  apparel,  ami  furniture  and  costly  vessels,  ot  which  the  like 
existed  not  in  the  possession  of  the  kings.  He  bought,  also,  houses  and 
gardens,  immovable  estates,  and  other  things;  and  he  resided  with  his 
Children,  and  his  wife,  and  his  mother,  eating,  and  drinking,  and  delighting. 
They  ceased  not  to  pass  the  most  comfortable  life,  and  the  most  agreeable, 
until  they  were  visited  by  the  terminator  of  delights  and  the  separator  of 
companions.    Extolled  be  the  peifectionof  Him  who  possesseth  the  dominion 

427 


STORY  OF  HASSAN  OF  BALSORA. 

that  is  apparent  and  the  dominion  that  is  hidden,  and  who  is  the  Living, 
the  Everlasting,  -\vho  dieth  not ! 


428 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  EIGHT  HUNDRED  AND  THIRTY-FIRST 
NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  EIGHT  HUNDRED  AND  FORTY- 
FIFTH. 

THE  STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

There  was,  in  ancient  times,  in  the  city  of  Bagdad,  a  fisherman  named 
Califa,  who  was  a  man  in  needy  circumstances,  a  pauper;  and  he  had 
never  in  his  life  married.  And  it  happened  one  day  that  he  took  his  net 
and  went  with  it  to  the  river,  as  it  was  his  custom  to  do,  that  lie  might 
catch  some  fish  before  the  other  fishermen.  When  he  arrived  at  the  river, 
he  girded  himself  and  tucked  up  his  sleeves;  then  advancing  to  the  river, 
he  spread  his  net,  and  cast  it  the  first  time  and  the  second  time  ;  but  there 
came  not  up  in  it  aught.  He  ceased  not  to  cast  it  until  he  had  done  so  ten 
times;  but  nothing  whatever  came  up  in  it.  So  his  bosom  was  contract- 
ed, and  his  mind  was  perplexed  respecting  his  case,  and  he  said,  I  beg  for- 
giveness of  God,  the  Great,  besides  whom  there  is  no  deity,  the  Living,  the 

429 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

Everlasting;  and  I  turn  unto  Him  repentant!  There  is  no  strength  nor 
power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  What  God  willeth  cometh  to 
pass,  and  what  He  willeth  not  cometh  not  to  pass!  Subsistence  is  to  be 
bestowed  by  God  (to  whom  be  ascribed  might  and  glory !) ;  and  when  God 
bestoweth  upon  a  servant,  no  one  preventeth  him ;  and  when  He  prevent- 
eth  a  servant,  no  one  bestoweth  upon  him.  Then,  by  reason  of  the  abund- 
ant grief  that  affected  him,  he  recited  this  couplet : 

When  fortune  afflicteth  thee  with  a  calamity,  prepare  patience  to  endure  it,  and 
expand  thy  bosom; 

For  the  Lord  of  all  creatures,  in  his  beneficence  and  bounty,  will  cause  easy  cir- 
cumstances to  follow  difficult. 

He  then  sat  a  while  meditating  upon  his  case,  and  hanging  down  his  head 
toward  the  ground ;  after  which  he  recited  some  other  verses,  and  said 
within  himself,  I  will  cast  the  net  this  time  also,  and  rely  upon  God  :  per- 
haps He  will  not  disappoint  my  hope. 

Accordingly,  he  advanced  and  cast  the  net  as  far  as  he  could  into  the 
river,  and  he  folded  its  cord,  and  waited  over  it  a  while.  Then  after  that 
he  drew  it,  and  found  it  heavy  ;  therefore,  when  he  knew  that  it  was 
heavy,  he  managed  it  gently,  and  drew  it  until  it  came  up  on  the  bank ;  and 
lo,  it  was  a  one-eyed,  lame  ape.  So  Califa,  on  beholding  him,  said,  There 
is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God  !  Verily  to  God  we  belong,  and  verily 
unto  Him  we  return  !  What  is  this  deficient  fortune  and  evil  luck  !  What 
hath  happened  to  me  on  this  blessed  day  !  But  all  this  is  by  the  predeterm- 
ination of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  He  then  took  the  ape,  bound  him 
with  a  rope,  and,  advancing  to  a  tree  growing  upon  the  bank  of  the  river,  he 
tied  him  to  it.  And  he  had  with  him  a  whip,  and  he  took  it  in  his  hand, 
and  raised  it  in  the  air,  desiring  to  beat  with  it  the  ape.  But  God  caused 
this  ape  to  speak  with  an  eloquent  tongue,  and  he  said  to  him,  O  Califa.  re- 
strain thy  hand,  and  beat  me  not,  but  leave  me  tied  to  this  tree,  and  go  to 
the  river,  and  cast  thy  net,  relying  upon  God  ;  for  he  will  give  thee  thy 
means  of  subsistence.  So  when  Califa  heard  the  words  of  the  ape,  he 
took  the  net,  and  advanced  to  the  river,  and  cast  it,  and  slackened  its  cord. 
Then  he  drew  it,  and  found  it  heavier  than  it  was  the  first  time  ;  and  he 
ceased  not  to  labor  at  it  until  it  came  up  to  the  bank,  when  lo,  there  was 
in  it  another  ape,  whose  front  teeth  were  far  apart,  his  eyes  adorned  with 
kohl,  and  his  hands  stained  with  henna;  and  he  was  laughing,  and  had 
around  his  waist  a  piece  of  ragged  stuff.  Upon  this  Califa  said,  Praise  be 
to  God  who  hath  substituted,  for  the  fish  of  the  river,  apes  !  He  then  came 
to  the  ape  that  was  tied  to  the  tree,  and  said  to  him,  See,  O  unlucky,  how 
abominable  was  that  which  thou  advisedst  me  to  do  !  For  none  caused  me 
to  fall  in  with  the  second  ape  but  thou;  because,  when  thou  presentedst 
thyself  to  me  in  the  morning,  lame  and  one-eyed,  I  became  embarrassed, 
weary,  not  possessing  a  piece  of  silver,  nor  a  piece  of  gold.  And  he  took 
in  his  hand  a  stick  for  driving  cattle,  and  whirled  it  round  in  the  air  three 
times,  and  was  about  to  strike  with  it  the  ape,  when  he  prayed  for  aid 
against  him,  and  said  to  him,  I  conjure  thee,  by  Allah,  to  pardon  me  for  the 
sake  of  this  my  companion,  and  seek  thou  of  him  what  thou  wantest;  for 
he  will  guide  thee  to  that  which  thou  desirest.  Califa  therefore  threw 
down  the  stick  and  pardoned  him.  He  then  came  to  the  second  ape,  and 
stood  by  him  ;  and  the  ape  said  to  him,  O  Califa,  these  words  will  not  profit 
thee  at  all,  unless  thou  hear  what  I  shall  say  to  thee ;  but  if  thou  hear  my 
430 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

words,  and  comply  with  my  advice,  and  oppose  me  not,  I  shall  be  the  means 
of  thy  becoming  rich.  So  Califa  said  to  him,  What  wilt  thou  say  to  me, 
that  I  m(ay  obey  thee  respecting  it  ?  And  he  answered  him,  Leave  me  tied 
here  in  my  place,  and  go  to  the  river  and  cast  thy  net,  and  I  will  tell  thee 
what  thou  shalt  do  after  this.  Califa  accordingly  took  the  net  and  went  to 
the  river,  and  cast  it,  and  waited  over  it  a  while.  Then  he  drew  it,  and 
found  it  heavy ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  labor  at  it  until  he  brought  it  up  to 
the  bank;  and  lo,  in  it  was  another  ape:  but  this  ape  was  red;  around 
his  waist  were  blue  garments,  and  his  hands  and  feet  were  stained  with 
henna,  and  his  eyes  adorned  with  kohl. 

On  seeing  him,  Califa  said,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  God,  the  Great ! 
Extolied  be  the  perfection  of  the  Possessor  of  dominion  !  Verily  this  day 
is  blessed  from  its  beginning  to  its  end  ;  for  its  luck  hath  been  shown  to  be 
fortunate  by  the  countenance  of  the  first  ape,  and  the  page  is  shown  by  its 
superscription!  This  day  is  a  day  of  apes;  there  remaineth  not  in  the 
river  a  single  fish,  and  we  came  not  forth  to-day  save  to  catch  apes  !  Praise 
be  to  God  who  hath  substituted,  for  the  fish,  apes  !  He  then  looked  toward 
the  third  ape,  and  said  to  him,  What  art  thou  also,  O  unlucky  ?  The  ape 
said  to  him,  Dost  thou  not  know  me,  O  Califa?  Califa  answered,  No. 
And  he  replied,  I  am  the  ape  of  Aboulsadat  the  Jew,  the  money-changer. 
And  what  dost  thou  for  him?  said  Califa.  He  answered  him,  I  present 
myself  to  him  in  the  morning,  at  the  beginning  of  the  day,  and  he  gaineth 
five  pieces  of  gold ;  and  I  present  myself  to  him  in  the  evening,  at  the 
close  of  the  day,  and  he  gaineth  five  pieces  of  gold  again.  And  Califa 
thereupon  looked  toward  the  first  ape,  and  said  to  him,  See,  O  unlucky, 
how  excellent  are  the  apes  of  other  people ;  but  as  to  thee,  thou  present- 
est  thyself  to  me  in  the  morning  lame  and  one-eyed,  and  with  thine  un- 
lucky countenance,  and  I  become  a  pauper,  a  bankrupt,  hungry.  He  then 
took  the  stick  and  whirled  it  round  in  the  air  three  times,  and  was  about  to 
strike  him  with  it.  But  the  ape  of  Aboulsadat  said  to  him,  Leave  him,  O 
Califa,  and  withdraw  thy  hand,  and  come  to  me,  that  I  may  tell  thee  what 
thou  shalt  do.  So  Califa  threw  down  the  stick  from  his  hand,  and,  advanc- 
ing to  him,  said  to  him,  Of  what  wilt  thou  tell  me,  O  master  of  all  apes  ? 
And  he  answered  him,  Take  the  net,  and  cast  it  in  the  river,  and  leave  me 
and  these  apes  remaining  by  thee ;  and  whatever  cometh  up  to  thee  in  the 
net,  bring  it  to  me,  and  I  will  acquaint  thee  with  that  which  will  rejoice 
thee.  Califa  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  And  he  took  the  net  and  folded  it 
upon  his  shoulder,  and  recited  these  verses : 

When  my  bosom  is  contracted,  I  will  beg  aid  of  my  Creator,  who  is  able  to  make 

easy  every  thing  that  is  difficult ; 
For  before  the  eye  can  close,  by  the  grace  of  our  Lord  the  captive  is  liberated 

and  the  broken  heart  made  whole. 
Commit,  then,  to  God  all  thine  affairs ;  for  every  discerning  person  kuoweth  his 

beneficence. 
Then  he  recited,  also,  these  two  verses : 

Thou  art  the  cause  of  men's  falling  into  trouble,  and  Thou  removest  anxieties  and 

the  means  of  misfortunes. 
Cause  me  not  to  covet  what  I  can  not  attain.    How  many  who  have  coveted  have 

failed  to  gain  their  wishes  ! 

And  when  he  had  ended  his  verses,  he  advanced  to  the  river  and  cast  in 
it  the  net,  and  waited  over  it  a  while ;  after  which  he  drew  it,  and  lo,  in  it 
was  a  large  fish,  with  a  great  head,  and  its  tail  was  like  a  ladle,  and  its  eyes 

431 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THF  FISHERMAN. 


The  three  apes. 


were  like  two  pieces  of  gold.  So  when  Califs  saw  it,  he  was  rejoiced  at,  it ; 
for  he  had  not  caught  the  like  of  it  before  in  his  life.  He  took  it,  wonder- 
ing at  it,  and  brought  it  to  the  ape  of  Aboulsadat  the  Jew ;  and  he  was 
as  though  he  had  gained  possession  of  the  whole  world.  And  the  ape  said 
to  him,  What  dost  thou  desire  to  do  with  this,  O  Califa,  and  what  wilt  thou 
do  to  thine  ape  ?  Califa  answered  him,  I  will  inform  thee,  O  master  of  all 
apes,  what  I  will  do.  Know  that  I  will,  before  every  thing  else,  contrive 
means  of  destroying  this  accursed  one,  my  ape,  and  1  will  take  thee  in  his 
stead,  and  feed  thee  every  day  with  what  thou  shalt  desire.  And  the  ape 
said  to  him,  Since  thou  hast  informed  me,  I  will  tell  thee  how  thou  shalt 
do;  and  by  thy  so  doing,  thy  state  shall  be  amended,  if  it  be  the  will  of 
God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  Understand,  then,  what  I  say  to  thee  ;  and 
it  is  this  :  that  thou  prepare  for  me  also  a  rope,  and  tie  me  with  it  to  a 
tree  :  then  thou  shalt  leave  me,  and  go  to  the  middle  of  the  quay,  and  cast 
thy  net  into  the  River  Tigris  ;  and  when  thou  hast  cast  it,  wait  over  it  a  lit- 
tle, and  draw  it,  and  thou  wilt  find  in  it  a  fish  than  which  thou  hast  not 
seen  any  more  beautiful  in  thy  whole  life.  Bring  it  to  me,  and  I  will  tell 
thee  how  thou  shalt  do  after  that.  So  thereupon  Califa  arose  immediately, 
and  cast  the  net  in  the  River  Tigris,  and  drew  it,  and  he  saw  in  it  a  fish  of 
the  kind  called  bayad,*  of  the  size  of  a  Iamb.  He  had  not  seen  the  like  of 
it  in  his  whole  life ;  and  it  was  larger  than  the  first  fish. 


432 


A  fish  common  in  the  River  Nile. 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 


Fish. 


He  took  it  and  went  with  it  to  the  ape ;  anil  the  ape  said  to  him,  Bring 
for  thyself  some  green  grass,  and  put  half  of  it  into  a  basket,  and  put  the 
fish  upon  it,  and  cover  it  with  the  other  half,  and  leave  us  tied.  Then  car- 
ry the  basket  upon  thy  shoulder,  and  go  with  it  into  the  city  of  Bagdad  ; 
and  whoever  speaketh  to  thee,  or  asketh  thee  a  question,  return  him  not  a 
reply,  until  thou  enterest  the  market  of  the  money-changers.  Thou  wilt  find, 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  market,  the  shop  of  the  learned  Abonlsadat  the  Jew, 
the  sheikh  of  the  money-changers,  and  thou  wilt  see  him  sitting  upon  a  mat- 
tress, with  a  pillow  behind  him,  and  before  him  two  chests,  one  for  the  gold 
and  the  other  for  the  silver,  and  with  him  mamlouks,  and  black  slaves,  and 
pages.  Advance  to  him,  and  put  the  basket  before  him,  and  say  to  him,  O 
Abonlsadat,  I  have  gone  forth  to-day  to  fish,  and  cast  the  net  in  thy  name, 
and  (led  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  sent  this  fish.  Thereupon  he  will  say, 
Hast  thou  shown  it  to  any  one  besides  me  ?  And  do  thou  answer  him,  No, 
by  Allah.  And  ho  will  take  it  from  thee,  and  give  thee  a  piece  of  gold. 
But  do  thou  return  it  to  him.  And  he  will  give  thee  two  pieces  of  gold. 
But  return  them  to  him.  And  whenever  he  giveth  thee  aught,  return  it  to 
him  :  if  he  give  thee  its  weight  in  gold,  receive  not  from  him  aught.  So 
he  will  say  to  thee,  Tell  me  what  thou  desirest.     And  say  thou  to  him,  By 

Vol.  II.— T  433 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

Allah,  I  will  not  sell  it  save  for  two  sayings.  And  when  he  saith  to  thee, 
And  what  are  those  two  sayings  ?  answer  him,  Rise  upon  thy  feet,  and  say, 
Bear  witness,  O  ye  who  are  present  in  the  market,  that  I  have  exchang- 
ed, for  the  ape  of  Califa  the  Fisherman,  my  ape ;  and  have  exchanged,  for 
his  lot,  my  lot ;  and  for  his  good  fortune,  my  good  fortune.  This  is  the 
price  of  the  fish,  and  I  have  no  need  of  the  gold.  And  when  he  hath  done 
with  thee  thus,  I  will  every  day  present  myself  to  thee  in  the  morning  and 
the  evening,  and  henceforth  thou  wilt  gain  every  day  ten  pieces  of  gold; 
while  this  his  one-eyed,  lame  ape  will  present  himself  in  the  morning  to 
Aboulsadat  the  Jew,  and  God  will  afflict  him  every  day  with  an  exaction 
which  he  will  be  obliged  to  pay,  and  he  will  not  cease  to  be  thus  afflicted 
until  he  becoineth  reduced  to  poverty,  and  is  possessed  of  nothing  what- 
ever. Hear,  then,  what  I  say  to  thee  :  so  wilt  thou  become  prosperous 
and  be  directed  aright.  And  when  Califa  the  Fisherman  heard  the  words 
of  the  ape,  he  replied,  I  accept  the  advice  which  thou  hast  given,  O  king 
of  all  the  apes!  But  as  to  this  unlucky  one,  may  God  not  bless  him!  I 
know  not  what  to  do  with  him.  The  third  ape,  however,  said  to  him,  Let 
him  go  into  the  water,  and  let  me  go  also.  And  Califa  replied,  I  hear  and 
obey  ;  and  he  advanced  to  the  apes  and  loosed  them,  and  left  them  ;  where- 
upon they  descended  into  the  river. 

He  then  approached  the  fish,  and  took  it  and  washed  it,  and  he  put  be- 
neath it  some  green  grass  in  the  basket,  covered  it  also  with  grass,  and,  car- 
rying it  upon  his  shoulder,  proceeded,  singing  this  verse  : 

Commit  thine  affairs  to  the  Lord  of  heaven,  and  thou  wilt  be  safe  ; 
And  act  kindly  throughout  thy  life,  and  thou  wilt  not  repent ; 
And  associate  not  with  the  suspected,  (or  thou  wouldst  be  suspected; 
And  keep  thy  tongue  from  reviling,  for  thou  wouldst  be  reviled. 

He  ceased  not  to  walk  on  until  he  entered  the  city  of  Bagdad  ;  and  when 
he  entered  it,  the  people,  knowing  him,  wished  him  good-morning,  and  said, 
What  hast  thou  with  thee,  O  Califa?  But  he  paid  no  regard  to  any  one 
among  them  until  he  came  to  the  market  of  the  money-changers,  and  pass- 
ed the  shops,  as  the  ape  directed  him.  Then  he  looked  at  the  Jew,  and 
saw  him  sitting  in  the  shop,  with  the  pages  in  attendance  upon  him,  and  he 
was  like  one  of  the  Kings  of  Khorasan.  When  Califa  saw  him,  he  knew 
him,  and  walked  on  until  he  stood  before  him ;  whereupon  the  Jew  raised 
his  head  toward  him,  and  knew  him,  and  said  to  him,  Welcome  to  thee,  O 
Califa !  What  is  thine  affair,  and  what  is  it  that  thou  desirest  ?  For  if 
any  one  have  spoken  to  thee  or  contended  with  thee,  tell  me,  that  I  may 
go  with  thee  to  the  judge,  and  he  will  exact  for  thee  thy  due  from  him. 
So  he  replied,  No,  by  thy  head,  O  chief  of  the  Jews  !  No  one  hath  spoken 
to  me.  But  I  went  forth  to-day  from  my  house  for  thy  luck,  and  repaired 
to  the  river,  and  cast  my  net  in  the  Tigris,  and  there  came  up  this  fish. 
He  then  opened  the  basket  and  threw  down  the  fish  before  the  Jew ;  and 
when  the  Jew  saw  it,  he  admired  it,  and  said,  By  the  Pentateuch  and  the 
Ten  Commandments,  I  was  sleeping  yesterday,  and  I  saw  in  my  sleep  as 
though  I  were  before  a  person  who  said  to  me,  Know,  O  Aboulsadat,  that 
I  have  sent  to  thee  a  beautiful  present.  So  probably  the  present  is  this  fish  : 
without  doubt  it  is.  Then  he  looked  toward  Califa,  and  said  to  him,  By  thy 
religion,  hath  any  one  seen  it  besides  me  ?  Califa  answered  him,  No,  by 
Allah  !  By  Abou  Beker  the  Very  Veracious,  O  chief  of  the  Jews,  no  one 
besides  thyself  hath  seen  it !  And  upon  this  the  Jew  looked  toward  one  of 
434 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN 


CaKfa  at  the  shop  of  the  Jew. 

his  pages,  and  said  to  him,  Come  hither:  take  this  fish,  and  go  wirh.it  to 
the  house,  and  let  Sadah  prepare  it,  and  fry  and  broil  it,  against  the  time 
when  I  shall  accomplish  my  business  and  come.  Califa  also  said  to  him, 
Go,  O  page  :  Jet  the  wife  of  the  learned  man  fry  some  of  it  and  broil  some 
of  it.  And  the  page  replied,  I  hear  and  obey,  0  my  master.  And  he  took 
the  fish,  and  went  with  it  to  the  house.  But  as  to  the  Jew,  he  stretched 
forth  his  hand  with  a  piece  of  gold,  and  olfered  it  to  Califa  the  Fisherman, 
saying  to  him,  Take  this  for  thyself,  O  Califa,  and  expend  it  upon  thy 
family. 

When  Califa  saw  it  in  his  hand,  he  said,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of 
the  Possessor  of  dominion  !  and  seemed  as  though  he  had  not  seen  any 
thing  of  gold  in  his  life.     He  took  the  piece  of  gold  and  walked  away  a  lit- 

435 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

tie.  Then  he  remembered  the  charge  of  the  ape :  so  he  returned,  and 
threw  back  the  piece  of  gold  to  the  Jew,  saying  to  him,  Take  thy  gold,  and 
give  me  people's  fish.  Are  people  to  thee  objects  of  ridicule  ?  And  when 
the  Jew  heard  his  words,  he  imagined  that  he  was  jesting  with  him ; 
wherefore  he  handed  to  him  two  pieces  of  gold  in  addition  to  the  first 
piece.  But  Califa  said  to  him,  Give  me  the  fish  without  jesting.  Dost 
thou  know  that  I  will  sell  the  fish  for  this  price  ?  And  the  Jew  put  forth 
his  hand  to  two  other  pieces,  and  said  to  him,  Take  these  five  pieces  of 
gold  as  the  value  of  the  fish,  and  relinquish  covetousness.  And  Califa  took 
them  in  his  hand  and  went  away  with  them,  joyful.  He  proceeded  to  look 
at  the  gold  and  to  wonder  at  it,  and  say,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  God ! 
There  is  not  in  the  possession  of  the  Caliph  of  Bagdad  the  like  of  what  is 
in  my  possession  this  day  !  And  he  ceased  not  to  walk  on  until  he  came  to 
the  end  of  the  market.  Then  he  remembered  the  words  of  the  ape,  and 
the  charge  that  he  had  given  him.  So  he  returned  to  the  Jew  and  threw 
back  to  him  the  gold.  The  Jew  therefore  said  to  him,  What  aileth  thee, 
O  Califa  ?  What  dost  thou  desire  ?  Wilt  thou  take  pieces  of  silver  in 
change  of  thy  gold  ?  And  he  answered  him,  I  desire  not  pieces  of  silver 
nor  pieces  of  gold.  I  only  desire  that  thou  give  me  people's  fish.  And 
upon  this  the  Jew  was  enraged,  and  cried  out  at  him,  and  said  to  him,  O 
fisherman,  dost  thou  come  to  me  with  a  fish  that  is  not  worth  a  piece  of 
gold,  and  do  I  give  thee  for  it  five  pieces  of  gold,  and  dost  thou  not  consent? 
Art  thou  mad  ?  Tell  me  for  how  much  thou  wilt  sell  it.  Califa  answered 
him,  I  will  not  sell  it  for  silver  nor  for  gold,  and  I  will  not  sell  it  save  for 
two  sayings  that  thou  shalt  utter  to  me.  And  when  the  Jew  heard  his 
mention  of  two  sayings,*  his  eyes  became  fixed  in  his  head,  and  his  breath- 
ing became  difficult,  and  he  locked  his  teeth  together,  and  said  to  him,  O 
recrement  of  the  Mohammedans,  dost  thou  desire  that  I  should  abandon 
my  religion  for  the  sake  of  thy  fish,  and  wouldst  thou  alienate  from  me  my 
faith  and  my  belief  which  I  found  my  fathers  to  have  held  before  me  ? 
And  he  cried  out  to  his  pages,  who  came  before  him,  and  he  said  to  them, 
Woe  to  you  !  Take  this  unlucky  fellow,  mangle  with  blows  the  back  of 
his  neck,  and  torture  him  with  abundant  beating.  They  therefore  fell  to 
beating  him,  and  ceased  not  to  do  so  until  he  fell  down  beneath  the  shop, 
when  the  Jew  said  to  them,  Leave  him,  that  he  may  rise.  And  Califa  rose 
up  as  though  naught  ailed  him. 

The  Jew  then  said  to  him.  Tell  me  what  thou  desirest  as  the  price  of 
this  fish,  and  I  will  give  it  thee  ;  for  thou  hast  not  obtained  good  from  us 
on  this  occasion.  But  Califa  replied,  Fear  not  for  me,  O  teacher,  on  ac- 
count of  the  beating;  for  I  can  bear  as  much  beating  as  ten  asses.  And 
the  Jew  laughed  at  his  words,  and  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  I  conjure  thee, 
tell  me  what  thou  desirest,  and  I,  by  my  religion,  will  give  thee  it.  So  he 
replied,  Naught  from  thee  will  content  me  as  the  price  of  this  fish  save 
two  sayings.  The  Jew  therefore  said  to  him,  I  imagine  that  thou  desirest 
of  me  that  I  should  become  a  Mohammedan.  Califa  replied,  By  Allah,  O 
Jew,  if  thou  become  a  Mohammedan,  thy  becoming  so  will  not  profit  the 
Mohammedans,  nor  will  it  injure  the  Jews  ;  and  if  thou  remain  in  thine  in- 
fidelity, thine  infidelity  will  not  injure  the  Mohammedans,  nor  will  it  profit 
the  Jews.     But  what  I  desire  of  thee  is  this  :  that  thou  rise  upon  thy  feet, 

*  The  profession  of  the  Mohammerlan  faith  is  often  named  the  "two  sayings." 
4,%- 


8T0RY  OF  CALIFA  THE   FISHERMAN. 

and  say,  Bear  witness  against  me,  O  people  of  tlie  market,  that  I  have 
given  in  exchange  my  ape  for  the  ape  of  Califa  the  Fisherman,  and  my  good 
luck  in  the  world  for  his  good  luck,  and  my  good  fortune  for  his  good 
fortune.  And  the  Jew  said,  If  this  thing  be  thy  desire,  it  is  to  me  easy. 
Then  the  Jew  arose  immediately,  and  stood  upon  his  feet,  and  said  as 
Califa  the  Fisherman  had  told  him  ;  after  which  he  looked  toward  him,  and 
said  to  him,  Hast  thou  aught  more  to  demand  of  me  ?  The  fisherman 
answered,  No.  And  the  Jew  said  to  him,  Go  in  peace.  So  Califa  arose 
immediately,  and,  having  taken  his  basket  and  his  net,  went  to  the  River 
Tigris  and  cast  the  net.  Then  he  drew  it,  and  found  it  heavy,  and  he 
pulled  it  not  forth  save  after  laborious  exertion  ;  and  when  he  pulled  it 
forth,  he  saw  it  full  offish  of  all  kinds.  And  there  came  to  him  a  woman, 
having  with  her  a  plate,  and  she  gave  him  a  piece  of  gold,  for  which  he 
gave  her  fish  ;  and  there  came  to  him  a  eunuch  also,  who  bought  of  him 
for  a  piece  of  gold.  Thus  it  happened  until  he  had  sold  fish  for  ten  pieces 
of  gold ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  sell  every  day  for  ten  pieces  of  gold  till  the 
end  often  days,  so  that  he  amassed  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold. 

Now  this  fisherman  had  a  chamber  within  a  place  through  which  the 
merchants  passed.  And  while  he  was  sleeping  in  his  chamber  one  night, 
he  said  to  himself,  O  Califa,  verily  all  the  people  know  that  thou  art  a  poor 
man,  a  fisherman,  and  there  have  come  into  thy  possession  a  hundred 
pieces  of  gold  :  so,  inevitably,  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Haroun  Alrashid, 
will  hear  of  thy  story  from  some  one  of  the  people  ;  and  probably  he  will 
be  in  need  of  wealth,  and  will  send  to  thee  and  say  to  thee,  I  am  in  want 
of  a  certain  number  of  pieces  of  gold,  and  it  hath  been  told  me  that  thou 
hast  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  ;  therefore  lend  them  to  me.  Then  I  will 
say,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  I  am  a  poor  man,  and  he  who  informed  thee 
that  I  had  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  lied  against  me ;  they  are  not  in  my 
possession,  nor  have  I  aught  thereof.  And  he  will  deliver  me  to  the  judge, 
and  will  say  to  him,  Strip  him  of  his  clothing,  and  torture  him  with  beat 
ing,  that  he  may  confess,  and  may  bring  the  hundred  pieces  of  gold  that 
are  in  his  possession.  Therefore  the  right  opinion,  that  will  be  the  means 
of  saving  me  from  this  embarrassing  predicament,  is  this:  that  I  arise  im- 
mediately, and  torture  myself  with  the  whip,  that  I  may  be  accustomed  to 
beating.  And  his  intoxication  said  to  him,  Arise,  strip  thyself  of  thy 
clothes.  So  he  arose  forthwith,  and  stripped  himself  of  his  clothes,  and 
took  in  his  hand  a  whip  that  he  had  by  him.  He  had  also  a  pillow  of 
leather;  and  he  proceeded  to  strike  oue  blow  upon  that  pillow,  and  one 
blow  upon  his  skin,  saying,  Ah  !  ah !  by  Allah,  this  is  a  false  assertion, 
O  my  lord,  and  they  utter  a  lie  against  me  :  I  am  a  poor  man,  a  fisherman, 
and  have  not  in  my  possession  aught  of  worldly  goods.  And  the  people 
heard  Califa  the  Fisherman  torturing  himself,  and  beating  upon  the  pillow 
with  the  whip,  the  falling  of  the  blows  upon  his  body  and  upon  the  pillow 
making  a  noise  in  the  night;  and  among  those  who  heard  him  were  the 
merchants.  They  therefore  said,  What  can  be  the  matter  with  this  poor 
man,  that  ho  crieth,  and  that  we  hear  the  falling  of  the  blows  upon  him  ? 
It  seemeth  that  the  robbers  have  come  down  upon  him,  and  they  are  the 
persons  who  are  torturing  him.  So  thereupon  they  all  arose,  on  hearing 
the  sounds  of  the  beating  and  crying,  and  came  forth  from  their  lodgings  to 
the  house  of  Califa,  and,  seeing  its  door  locked,  they  said,  one  to  another, 
Probably  the  robbers  have  descended  upon  him  from  behind  the  saloon  : 

437 


STORY  OF  CALIF  A  THE  FISHERMAN. 

therefore  it  is  expedient  that  we  ascend  by  way  of  tlie  roofs.  Accordingly, 
they  ascended  to  the  roofs,  and  descended  through  the  skylight ;  and  they 
saw  him  with  bare  back,  and  torturing  himself.  They  therefore  said  to  him, 
What  aileth  thee,  O  Calif  a?  What  is  thy  story?  And  he  answered, 
Know,  O  people,  that  I  have  acquired  some  pieces  of  gold,  and  I  fear  that 
my  case  will  be  reported  to  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Haroun  Alrashid, 
and  he  will  summon  me  before  him,  and  demand  of  me  those  pieces  of 
gold.  Then  I  will  deny ;  and  when  I  deny,  I  fear  that  he  will  torture  me  ; 
wherefore  I  am  torturing  myself,  and  making  the  torture  habitual  to  me, 
to  prepare  for  what  may  come.  And  the  merchants  laughed  at  him,  and 
said  to  him,  Leave  off  these  actions.  May  God  not  bless  thee,  nor  the 
pieces  of  gold  that  have  come  to  thee  !  For  thou  hast  disquieted  us  this 
night,  and  alarmed  our  hearts. 

So  Califa  discontinued  the  beating  of  himself,  and  slept  until  the  morn- 
ing ;  and  when  he  arose  from  sleep,  and  desired  to  depart  to  his  occupa- 
tion, he  reflected  upon  the  matter  of  the  hundred  pieces  of  gold  that  had 
come  into  his  possession,  and  said  within  himself,  If  I  leave  them  in  the 
house,  the  robbers  will  steal  them  ;  and  if  I  put  them  into  a  belt  around  my 
waist,  probably  some  one  will  see  them,  and  lay  wait  for  me  until  I  am 
alone,  in  a  place  devoid  of  other  persons,  and  he  will  slay  me,  and  take 
them  from  me.  But  I  will  practice  a  stratagem,  one  that  will  be  good  and 
very  advantageous.  He  then  arose  immediately,  and  sewed  for  himself  a 
pocket  within  the  upper  border  of  his  vest,  and,  having  tied  up  the  hundred 
pieces  of  gold  in  a  purse,  put  them  into  that  pocket  which  he  had  made ; 
after  which  he  arose  and  took  his  net,  and  his  basket,  and  his  staff,  and 
proceeded  until  he  came  to  the  River  Tigris,  and  cast  his  net  in  it.  Then 
he  drew  it ;  but  there  came  not  up  for  him  any  thing.  He  therefore  re- 
moved from  that  place  to  another  place,  and  there  he  cast  his  net;  but 
nothing  came  up  for  him.  And  he  ceased  not  to  remove  from  place  to 
place  until  he  was  as  far  from  the  city  as  the  space  of  half  a  day's  journey, 
casting  the  net  on  the  way ;  but  still  there  came  not  up  for  him  aught. 
And  he  said  within  himself,  By  Allah,  I  will  not  cast  my  net  again  into  the 
water  save  this  time,  whatever  be  the  result !  So  he  cast  the  net  with  all 
his  force,  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  his  rage,  and  the  purse  in  which 
were  the  hundred  pieces  of  gold  flew  from  his  bosom,  fell  into  the  midst 
of  the  river,  and  was  carried  away  with  the  force  of  the  current.  Upon 
this  he  threw  down  the  net  from  his  hand,  and  stripped  himself  of  his 
clothes,  and,  leaving  them  upon  the  bank,  descended  into  the  river,  and 
dived  after  the  purse.  He  ceased  not  to  dive  and  come  up  about  a  hundred 
times,  until  his  strength  became  impaired;  but  he  found  not  that  purse; 
and  when  he  despaired  of  it,  he  came  up  on  the  bank,  and  found  not  aught 
save  the  staff,  and  the  net,  and  the  basket.  He  sought  his  clothes  ;  but 
discovered  no  trace  of  them.  So  he  unfolded  the  net,  and  wrapped  him- 
self in  it,  and,  taking  the  stall"  in  his  hand,  and  the  basket  upon  his  shoulder, 
he  went  trotting  along  like  the  stray  camel,  running  to  the  right  and  left, 
and  backward  and  forward,  with  disheveled  hair,  and  dust-colored,  like 
the  refractory  Afrite  when  let  loose  from  Solomon's  prison.  Such  was 
the  case  of  Califa  the  Fisherman. 

Now  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alrashid  had  a  companion,  a  jeweler,  named  Ben- 
kernas  ;  and  all  the  people,  and  the  merchants,  and  the  brokers,  and  the  bar- 
gain-makers knew  that  Benkernas  was  the  merchant  of  the  caliph.  Naught 
438 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 


Califa  wrapped  in  his  net. 


that  was  sold  in  the  city  of  Bagdad,  of  rarities  and  other  costly  things,  was 
sold  until  it  was  shown  to  him,  and  among  these  things  were  the  mamlouUs 
and  the  female  slaves.  And  while  that  merchant,  Benkernas,  was  sitting 
in  his  shop  one  day,  lo,  the  sheikh  of  the  brokers  came  to  him,  having  with 
him  a  female  slave,  the  like  of  whom  eyes  had  not  beheld.  She  was  en- 
dowed with  the  utmost  beauty  and  loveliness,  and  fine  stature,  and  justness 
of  form  ;  and  among  the  number  of  her  excellences  were  these  :  that  she 
knew  all  sciences  and  arts,  and  composed  verses,  and  played  upon  all  kinds 
of  musical  instruments.  So  Benkernas  the  jeweler  purchased  her  for  live 
thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  he  clad  her  at  the  cost  of  one  thousand  pieces 
of  gold,  and  brought  her  to  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  who  tried  her  in 
every  science  and  in  every  art,  and  found  her  to  be  acquainted  with  all 
sciences  and  arts.      She  was  unequaled  in  her  uge,  and  her  name  was 

43(J 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

Koutelkuloub.  And  on  the  following  morning  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alrashid 
sent  to  Benkernas  the  jeweler;  and  when  he  came,  he  gave  orders  to  pay 
him  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold  as  the  price  of  that  slave  girl.  Then  the 
heart  of  the  caliph  became  engrossed  by  that  slave  girl  named  Koutelkuloub, 
and  he  abandoned  the  Lady  Zobeide,  the  daughter  of  Kasim,  though  she 
was  the  daughter  of  his  paternal  uncle.  He  abandoned  also  all  the  concu- 
bines, and  remained  a  whole  month  without  going  forth  from  that  slave 
girl,  save  to  the  Friday  prayers,  after  which  he  returned  to  her  in  haste. 
So  this  conduct  was  grievous  to  the  lords  of  the  empire;  wherefore  they 
complained  thereof  to  the  Vizier  Giafar  the  Barmecide ;  and  the  vizier 
waited  for  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  until  the  next  Friday,  when  he  en- 
tered the  mosque  and  met  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  and  related  to  him 
all  that  he  had  heard  of  stories  concerning  extraordinary  love,  in  order  that 
he  might  draw  forth  the  statement  of  his  feelings.  And  upon  this  the 
caliph  said  to  him,  O  Giafar,  by  Allah,  that  thing  was  not  of  my  choice  ; 
but  my  heart  is  entangled  in  the  snare  of  love,  and  I  know  not  what  is  to 
be  done.  The  Vizier  Giafar  therefore  replied,  Know,  O  Prince  of  the 
Faithful,  that  this  concubine  Koutelkuloub  hath  become  under  thine  author- 
ity, and  of  the  number  of  thy  servants ;  and  what  the  hand  possesseth  the 
soul  doth  not  covet.  I  will  also  acquaint  thee  with  another  thing,  which  is 
this :  that  the  best  of  what  the  kings  and  the  sons  of  the  kings  glory  in  are 
hunting,  and  enjoying  sport  and  conveniences;  and  if  thou  do  thus,  proba- 
bly thou  wilt  thereby  be  diverted  from  her,  and  probably  thou  wilt  forget 
her.  And  the  caliph  said  to  him,  Excellent  is  that  which  thou  hast  said, 
O  Giafar.     Repair,  then,  with  us  hastily,  immediately,  to  hunt. 

Accordingly,  when  the  Friday  prayers  were  ended,  they  both  went  forth 
from  the  mosque,  and  mounted  immediately,  and  went  to  hunt.  They 
proceeded  until  they  came  to  the  desert,  and  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful 
and  the  Vizier  Giafar  were  riding  upon  two  mules ;  and  as  they  occupied 
each  other  by  conversation,  the  troops  outwent  them.  The  heat  had  be- 
come oppressive  to  them  :  so  Alrashid  said,  O  Giafar,  violent  thirst  hath 
affected  me.  Then  Alrashid  cast  his  eyes,  and  saw  a  distant  object  faintly 
appearing  upon  a  high  mound  ;  and  he  said  to  the  vizier,  Dost  thou  see 
what  I  see  ?  The  vizier  answered  him,  Yes,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  I 
see  a  distant  object  faintly  appearing  upon  a  high  mound,  and  it  is  either 
the  keeper  of  a  garden  or  the  keeper  of  a  ground  for  melons  and  cucumbers ; 
and  in  either  case,  his  tract  is  not  without  water.  The  vizier  then  said,  I 
will  go  to  him,  and  bring  thee  some  water  from  him.  But  Alrashid  replied, 
My  mule  is  more  swift  than  thine ;  therefore  stay  thou  here,  on  account 
of  the  troops,  and  I  will  myself  go  and  get  drink  from  the  station  of  this 
person,  and  return.  And  he  urged  his  mule,  which  thereupon  went  forth 
like  the  wind  in  its  pace,  or  as  water  poureth  into  a  pool,  and  ceased  not 
to  bear  him  away  until  he  arrived  at  that  faint  object  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye,  when  he  found  not  that  object  to  be  any  one  but  Califa  the  Fisherman. 
Alrashid  saw  him  with  his  naked  body  wrapped  in  his  net,  and  his  eyes, 
by  reason  of  their  excessive  redness,  were  like  burning  cressets.  His  form 
was  horrible,  and  his  figure  bending,  aud,  with  disheveled  hair,  and  dust- 
colored,  he  resembled  an  Afrite  or  a  lion. 

Alrashid  saluted  him,  and  he  returned  his  salutation  in  a  state  of  rage, 
and  his  breath  would  have  kindled  fires ;  and  Alrashid  said  to  him,  O  man, 
hast  thou  by  thee  any  water  ?  Califa  replied,  O  thou,  art  thou  blind  or  mad  ? 
440 


STORY  OF  CAL1FA  THE  FISHERMAN. 


' 


The  caliph  and  Giafar  discovering  the  fisherman. 

Go  to  the  River  Tigris  ;  for  it  is  behind  this  mound.  So  Alrashid  went 
round  behind  the  mound,  and  descended  to  the  River  Tigris,  and  drank,  and 
watered  his  mule.  Then  he  went  up  immediately,  and,  returning  to 
Califa  the  Fisherman,  said  to  him,  Wherefore,  O  man,  art  thou  standing 
here,  and  what  is  thine  occupation?  Califa  replied,  Verily  this  question 
is  more  wonderful  and  more  extraordinary  than  thy  question  respecting 
the  water.  Dost  thou  not  see  the  apparatus  of  my  occupation  upon  my 
shoulder?  Alrashid  therefore  said  to  him,  It  seemeth  that  thou  art  a 
fisherman.  He  replied,  Yes.  Where,  then,  said  Alrashid,  is  thy  tunic, 
and  where  is  thy  cloak,  and  where  is  thy  coat,  and  where  are  thy  clothes  ? 
Now  the  things  that  had  gone  from  Califa  were  like  those  which  he  men- 
tioned to  him,  article  agreeing  with  article  :  so  when  Califa  heard  those 
words  of  the  caliph,  he  imagined  in  his  mind  that  he  was  the  person  who 
had  taken  his  clothes  from  the  bank  of  the  river.  He  therefore  descended 
immediately  from  the  top  of  the  mound,  more  swiftly  than  the  blinding 
lightning,  and,  seizing  the  bridle  of  the  mule  of  the  caliph,  said  to  him,  O 
man,  give  me  my  things,  and  desist,  from  sport  and  jesting.  So  the  caliph 
replied,  I,  by  Allah,  have  not  seen  thy  clothes,  nor  do  I  know  them.  And 
Alrashid  had  large  cheeks  and  a  small  mouth;  wherefore  Califa  said  to 
him,  Probably  thine  occupation  is  that  of  a  singer  or  a  piper?  But  give  me 
my  clothes,  by  ihe  means  that  are  best,  or  else  I  will  beat  thee  with  this 
6ta(i'so  that  tliou  shalt  find  thyself  in  an  evil  plight.  And  when  the  caliph 
saw  the  stall"  in  Califa*  s  hand,  he  said  within  himself,  By  Allah,  I  can  not 
endure  from  this  pauper  half  a  blow  with  this  staff.  And  there  was  upon 
Alrashid  a  long  vest  of  satin:  so  he  pulled  it  off,  and  said  to  Califa,  O  man, 
take  this  vest  instead  of  thy  clothes.  Califa  therefore  took  it,  and  turned 
it  over,  and  said,  Verily  my  clothes  are  worth  ten  such  things  as  this  vari- 
egated cloak.  Alrashid,  however,  replied,  Wear  it  till  I  bring  thee  thino 
T*  441 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

own  clothes.  And  Califa  took  it  and  put  it  on;  but  he  saw  it  to  be  too 
long  for  him ;  and,  having  with  him  a  knife  tied  to  the  handle  of  the  basket, 
he  took  it  and  cut  off  with  it  from  the  lower  part  of  the  vest  as  much  as 
one  third  of  it,  so  that  it  reached  but  just  below  his  knees. 

He  then  looked  toward  Alrashid,  and  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  I  conjure 
thee,  O  piper,  that  thou  inform  me  what  is  the  amount  of  thy  wages  that 
thou  receivest  every  month  from  thy  master  for  the  art  of  piping.  The 
caliph  replied,  My  wages  every  month  are  ten  pieces  of  gold.  And  upon 
this  Califa  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  O  poor  man,  thou  hast  made  me  to  par- 
take of  thine  anxiety  !  By  Allah,  the  sum  of  ten  pieces  of  gold  I  gain 
every  day  !  Dost  thou  desire,  then,  to  be  with  me  as  my  servant  ?  If  so, 
I  will  teach  thee  the  art  of  fishing,  and  be  partner  with  thee  in  the  gain. 
Thus  thou  wilt  work  every  day  at  the  rate  of  five  pieces  of  gold,  and  be  my 
young  man,  and  I  will  protect  thee  from  thy  master  with  this  staff.  And 
Alrashid  answered  him,  I  consent  to  that.  So  Califa  said  to  him,  Alight 
now  from  the  back  of  the  ass,  and  tie  it,  that  it  may  be  of  use  to  us  here- 
after in  carrying  the  fish;  and  come,  that  I  may  teach  thee  the  art  of  fish- 
ing immediately.  And  thereupon  Alrashid  alighted  from  the  back  of  his 
mule,  and  tied  it,  and  tucked  up  his  skirts  within  the  circle  of  his  girdle. 
Califa  then  said  to  him,  O  piper,  hold  this  net  so,  and  put  it  upon  thine  arm 
so,  and  cast  it  into  the  River  Tigris  so.  And  Alrashid  fortified  his  heart, 
and  did  as  Califa  showed  him.  He  cast  the  net  in  the  river,  and  pulled  it, 
but  could  not  draw  it  up.  Califa  therefore  came  to  him,  and  pulled  it  with 
him ;  but  they  could  not  draw  it  up  together.  So  Califa  said  to  him,  O 
ill-omened  piper,  if  I  took  thy  cloak  instead  of  my  clothes  the  first  time, 
this  time  I  will  take  thine  ass  for  my  net,  if  I  see  it  mangled,  and  I  will 
beat  thee  until  thou  shalt  be  in  an  abominable  condition.  Alrashid  replied. 
Let  me  and  thee  pull  together.  And  the  two  together  pulled  the  net,  and 
they  could  not  draw  up  that  net  save  with  difficulty;  and  when  they  had 
drawn  it  up,  they  looked  at  it,  and  lo,  it  was  full  of  all  kinds  of  fish.  Upon 
this  Califa  said  to  Alrashid,  By  Allah,  O  piper,  verily  thou  art  an  ugly  fel- 
low ;  but  when  thou  shalt  have  labored  at  fishing,  thou  wilt  be  an  excellent 
fisherman.  And  now,  the  right  opinion  is  this:  that  thou  mount  thine  ass, 
and  go  to  the  mai-ket,  aud  bring  two  great  baskets,  and  I  will  take  care  of 
these  fish  until  thou  come  again,  when  I  and  thou  will  put  them  upon  the 
back  of  thine  ass ;  and  I  have  the  pair  of  scales,  and  the  pound  weights, 
and  every  thing  that  we  require.  We  will  take  all  with  us,  and  thou  wilt 
have  nothing  to  do  but  to  hold  the  pair  of  scales  and  to  receive  the  prices ; 
for  Ave  have  with  us  fish  worth  twenty  pieces  of  gold.  Hasten,  then,  to 
bring  the  two  great  baskets,  and  delay  not.  Aud  the  caliph  replied,  I  hear 
and  obey. 

He  left  him,  and  left  the  fish,  and  urged  on  his  mule,  being  in  a  state  of 
the  utmost  joy.  He  ceased  not  to  laugh  at  what  had  happened  to  him  with 
the  fisherman  until  he  came  to  Giafar ;  and  when  Giafar  saw  him,  he  said 
to  him,  O  Priuce  of  the  Faithful,  probably  when  thou  wentest  to  drink, 
thou  foundest  a  pleasant  garden,  and  enteredst  it  and  divertedst  thyself  in 
it  alone.  And  Alrashid,  on  his  hearing  the  words  of  Giafar,  laughed. 
Then  all  the  Barmecides  kissed  the  ground  before  him,  and  said  to  him, 
O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  may  God  perpetuate  thy  joys,  and  dispel  from 
thee  troubles  !  What  was  the  cause  of  thy  delay  when  thou  wentest  to 
drink,  and  what  happened  to  thee  ?  And  the  caliph  answered  them,  An 
442 


STORY  OF  CAL1FA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

extraordinary  event,  and  a  mirth-exciting,  wonderful  thing  hath  happened 
to  me.  Then  lie  repeated  to  them  the  story  of  Califa  the  Fisherman,  and 
what  had  happened  to  him  with  him ;  his  saying,  Thou  hast  stolen  my 
clothes;  and  his  having  given  him  his  vest,  and  the  fisherman's  having  cut 
oft"  a  part  of  the  vest  on  his  seeing  it  to  be  too  long  for  him.  And  Giafar 
said,  By  Allah,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  it  was  my  wish  to  have  requested 
of  thee  the  vest ;  but  I  will  go  immediately  to  the  fisherman  and  purchase 
it.  of  him.  So  the  caliph  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  he  hath  cut  oft'  a  third  of  it, 
from  its  lower  part,  and  hath  entirely  spoiled  it;  but,  O  Giafar,  I  am 
fatigued  by  my  fishing  in  the  river;  for  I  have  caught  a  great  quantity  of 
fish,  and  they  are  upon  the  bank  of  the  river,  with  my  teacher  Califa.  He 
is  standing  there  waiting  for  me  to  return  to  him,  and  to  take  to  him  two 
great  baskets.  Then  1  and  he  are  to  go  to  the  market,  and  we  are  to  sell 
the  fish,  and  divide  their  price.  Giafar  replied,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful, 
I  will  bring  to  you  one  who  will  purchase  of  you.  And  the  caliph  said  to 
him,  O  Giafar,  by  my  pure  forefathers,  to  every  one  who  bringeth  me  a 
fish  from  among  those  which  are  before  Califa,  who  taught  me  the  art  of 
fishing,  I  will  give  for  it  a  piece  of  gold  !  The  crier  therefore  proclaimed 
among  the  troops,  Go  ye  forth  and  purchase  fish  for  the  Prince  of  the 
Faithful. 

Accordingly,  the  mamlouks  went  forth,  repairing  to  the  bank  of  the  river; 
and  while  Califa  was  waiting  for  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  to  bring  to  him 
two  great  baskets,  lo,  the  mamlouks  pounced  upon  him  like  eagles,  and 
took  the  fish,  and  put  them  in  gold-embroidered  handkerchiefs,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  beat  each  other  to  get  at  him.  So  Califa  said,  No  doubt  these 
fish  are  of  the  fish  of  Paradise  !  Then,  taking  two  fish  in  his  right  hand 
aud  two  in  his  left  hand,  he  descended  into  the  water  to  his  throat,  and  be- 


Mamlouks  taking  the  fish. 


•143 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

gan  to  say,  O  Allah,  by  these  fish,  let  thy  servant  the  piper,  my  partner, 
come  immediately  !  And  lo,  a  black  slave  advanced  to  him,  and  that  slave 
was  the  chief  over  all  the  black  slaves  that  were  in  the  palace  of  the  caliph. 
The  cause  of  his  having  come  later  than  the  mamlouks  was  an  impediment 
that  occurred  to  him  on  the  way.  So  when  he  came  to  Califa,  he  found 
that  there  remained  not  of  the  fish  little  nor  much  ;  but,  looking  to  the  right 
and  left,  he  saw  Califa  the  Fisherman  standing  in  the  water  with  the  fish 
in  his  hands;  and  thereupon  he  said  to  him,  O  fisherman,  come  hither! 
The  fisherman  replied,  Go,  without  impertinence.  The  eunuch,  however, 
advanced  to  him,  and  said  to  him,  Give  me  these  fish,  and  I  will  give  thee 
the  price.  Califa  the  Fisherman  rejoined,  Art  thou  of  little  sense?  I  will 
not  sell  them.  But  the  eunuch  drew  forth  against  him  the  mace  ;  so  there- 
upon Califa  said  to  him,  Strike  not,  O  wretch  ;  for  the  conferring  of  a  favor 
is  better  than  the  mace  !  Then  he  threw  to  him  the  fish,  and  the  eunuch 
took  them,  and  placed  them  in  his  handkerchief,  and  put  his  hand  into  his 
pocket;  but  found  not  a  single  piece  of  silver.  He  therefore  said,  O  fisher- 
man, verily  thy  fortune  is  unlucky !  I,  by  Allah,  have  not  with  me  any 
money.  But  to-morrow  come  thou  to  the  palace  of  the  caliph,  and  say, 
Direct  me  to  the  eunuch  Sandal.  Thereupon  the  eunuchs  will  direct  thee 
to  me ;  and  when  ihou  hast  come  to  me  there,  thou  wilt  obtain  what  is  de- 
creed for  thee,  and  thou  shalt  receive  it  and  go  thy  way. 

So  upon  this  Califa  said,  Verily  this  day  is  blessed,  and  its  blessing  was 
apparent  from  its  commencement. !  Then  he  took  his  net  upon  his  shoul- 
der, and  walked  on  until  he  entered  Bagdad,  and  he  walked  along  the 
streets.  The  people  therefore  saw  the  garment  of  the  caliph  upon  him, 
and  they  continued  looking  at  him  until  he  entered  the  quarter  [where  he 
lived].  And  the  shop  of  the  tailor  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  was  by 
the  gate  of  the  quarter;  so  the  tailor  saw  Califa  the  Fisherman  having 
upon  him  a  garment  worth  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  of  the  apparel  of  the 
caliph  ;  and  he  said,  O  Califa,  whence  obtainedst  thou  this  garment? 
Califa  replied,  And  what  reason  hast  thou  to  be  impertinent?  I  received 
it  from  him  whom  I  have  taught  the  art  of  fishing,  and  who  hath  become 
my  young  man,  and  I  have  remitted  to  him  the  amputation  of  his  hand; 
for  he  stole  my  clothes,  and  gave  me  this  cloak  instead  of  them.  The 
tailor  therefore  knew  that  the  caliph  had  passed  by  him  while  he  was  fish- 
ing, and  had  jested  with  him,  and  given  him  the  garment.  Then  the  fisher- 
man went  to  his  abode. 

Now  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alrashid  had  not  gone  forth  to  the  chase  save 
in  order  that  he  might  be  diverted  from  thinking  of  the  slave  girl  Koutelku- 
loub.  And  when  Zobeide  heard  of  the  slave  girl,  and  of  the  caliph's  devo- 
tion to  her,  that  jealousy  which  seizes  women  so  seized  her  that  she  ab- 
stained from  food  and  drink,  and  relinquished  the  delight  of  sleep  ;  and  she 
waited  for  the  absence  of  the  caliph,  and  his  going  forth  on  a  journey,  that 
she  might  set  for  Koutelkuloub  the  snare  of  stratagems.  Therefore,  when 
she  knew  that  the  caliph  had  gone  forth  to  hunt,  she  ordered  the  female 
slaves  to  spread  the  furniture  in  the  palace,  and  she  made  a  profuse  display 
of  decoration  and  magnificence,  caused  the  viands  and  the  sweetmeats  to 
be  placed  and  prepared  ;  among  these,  a  China  dish  containing  sweetmeat 
of  the  most  dainty  kind,  in  which  she  put  some  bhang,  infusing  it  there- 
with. She  then  ordered  one  of  the  eunuchs  to  go  to  the  slave  girl  Koutel- 
kuloub, to  invite  her  to  partake  of  the  food  of  the  Lady  Zobeide  thedaugh- 
444 


STORY  OF  CALIF  A  THE  FISHERMAN. 

ter  of  Kasim,  the  wife  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  and  to  say  to  her,  The 
wife  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  hath  drank  to-day  some  medicine,  and 
she  hath  heard  of  the  sweetness  of  thy  melody,  wherefore  she  desireth  to 
divert  herself  by  hearing  somewhat  of  thy  performance.  And  she  replied, 
I  hear  and  obey  God  and  the  Lady  Zobeide.  She  arose  immediately,  not 
knowing  what  was  secretly  decreed  to  befall  her,  and,  taking  with  her 
what  instruments  she  required,  she  accompanied  the  eunuch,  and  ceased 
not  to  proceed  until  she  went  in  to  the  Lady  Zobeide,  when  she  kissed  the 
ground  before  her  many  times  ;  after  which  she  rose  upon  her  feet  and 
said,  Peace  be  on  the  lady  of  the  highly-honored  curtain  and  the  unap- 
proachable majesty,  the  descendant  of  Abbas  and  the  member  of  the  family 
of  the  Prophet !  May  God  cause  thee  to  obtain  prosperity  and  peace 
during  the  course  of  days  and  years  !  Then  she  stood  among  the  female 
slaves  and  the  eunuchs  ;  and  thereupon  the  Lady  Zobeide  raised  her  head 
toward  her,  and  contemplated  her  beauty  and  loveliness ;  and  she  saw  a 
damsel  with  smooth  cheeks,  with  a  bosom  presenting  the  similitude  of  two 
pomegranates,  and  a  brilliant  countenance,  and  shining  forehead,  and  large 
black  eyes.  Her  eyelids  were  languishing,  and  her  face  was  beauteously 
bright.  The  splendor  of  her  countenance  was  like  that  of  the  rising  sun  ; 
and  the  hair  over  her  forehead  like  the  darkness  of  night ;  and  her  odor 
like  the  fragrance  diffused  by  musk  ;  and  her  beauty  like  charming  flowers  ; 
and  her  forehead  like  the  moon  ;  and  her  figure  like  the  waving  branch. 
She  was  like  the  full  moon  shining  in  the  dark  night,  and  her  eyes  were 
amorous,  and  her  eyebrows  were  arched,  and  her  lips  were  as  though  they 
were  formed  of  coral.  She  amazed  by  her  beauty  every  one  who  beheld 
her,  and  enchanted  with  her  eye  every  one  who  saw  her.  Glory  be  to 
Him  who  created  her,  and  perfected  her,  and  completed  her!  She  was 
like  her  of  whom  the  poet  hath  said, 

When  she  is  incensed,  thou  seest  men  slaia ;  and  when  she  is  pleased,  their  souls 

return. 
She  hath  eyes  the  glances  of  which  are  enchanting ;  with  them  she  killeth  and  re- 

animateth  whom  she  will. 
She  captivateth  all  creatures  with  her  eyes;  and  it  seemeth  as  though  they  were 

her  slaves. 

The  Lady  Zobeide  said  to  her,  A  friendly,  and  free,  and  ample  welcome 
to  thee,  O  Kouteikuloub  !  Sit,  that  thou  mayest  amuse  us  with  thy  per- 
formances and  the  excellence  of  thine  art.  So  she  replied,  I  hear  and 
obey.  And  she  sat,  and,  putting  forth  her  hand,  she  took  the  tambourine; 
and  after  that  the  flageolet;  and  next  tho  lute;  and  she  played  fourteen 
times,  and  sang  to  it  an  entire  piece  in  such  a  manner  that  she  amazed  the 
beholders,  and  moved  with  delight  the  hearers.  And  after  that  she  ex- 
hibited her  skill  in  juggling  and  sleights,  and  every  pleasing  art,  so  that  tho 
Lady  Zobeide  almost  became  enamored  of  her,  and  said  within  herself, 
The  son  of  my  uncle,  Alrashid,  is  not  to  be  blamed  for  his  passion  for  her. 
Then  the  damsel  kissed  the  ground  before  Zobeide,  and  sat  down  :  and 
they  presented  to  her  the  viands ;  and  afterward  the  sweetmeat  ;  and  they 
presented  the  dish  in  which  was  the  bhang.  So  she  ate  of  it;  and  tho 
sweetmeat  had  not  settled  in  her  stomach  before  her  head  turned  over,  and 
she  fell  down  on  the  floor  asleep;  whereupon  the  Lady  Zobeide  said  to 
the  female  slaves,  Take  her  up  to  one  of  the  private  chambers,  and  there 
leave  her  until  I  require  her  to  be  brought.     And  they  replied,  We  hear 

445 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

and  obey.  She  then  said  to  one  of  the  eunuchs,  Make  for  us  a  chest,  and 
bring  it  to  me.  And  she  gave  orders  to  make  the  semblance  of  a  tomb,  and 
to  spread  a  report  that  the  damsel  had  been  choked  and  had  died.  She 
also  warned  her  chief  attendants  that  whoever  should  say  that  she  was 
living,  that  person's  head  should  be  struck  off.  And  lo,  the  caliph  then 
came  back  from  the  chase,  and  his  first  inquiry  was  respecting  the  damsel. 
So  one  of  his  eunuchs  advanced  to  him  ;  and  the  Lady  Zobeide  had  charged 
him  that  if  the  caliph  should  ask  him  respecting  her,  he  should  say  she  had 
died  :  wherefore  he  kissed  the  ground  before  him,  and  said  to  him,  O  my 
lord,  may  thy  head  long  survive  !  Know  for  certain  that  Koutelkuloub  hath 
been  choked  with  food,  and  hath  died.  Upon  this  the  caliph  said,  May 
God  not  rejoice  thee  with  good  tidings,  O  wicked  slave !  He  then  arose 
and  entered  the  palace,  and  heard  of  her  death  from  every  one  in  it ;  and 
he  said,  Where  is  her  tomb  ?  They  therefore  conducted  him  thither,  and 
showed  him  the  tomb  that  had  been  made  for  deception,  saying  to  him, 
This  is  her  tomb.  And  when  he  saw  it,  he  cried  out,  and  embraced  the 
tomb,  and  wept,  and  recited  some  verses.  He  wept  for  her  violently,  and 
remained  there  some  time ;  after  which  he  arose  and  quitted  the  tomb,  in 
a  state  of  the  utmost  grief.  So  the  Lady  Zobeide  knew  that  her  stratagem 
had  been  accomplished,  and  she  said  to  the  eunuch,  Bring  the  chest.  He 
therefore  brought  it  before  her ;  and  she  caused  the  damsel  to  be  brought, 
and  put  her  in  it,  and  said  to  the  eunuch,  Endeavor  to  sell  the  chest;  make 
it  a  condition  with  the  purchaser  that  he  shall  purchase  it  locked :  then  give 
its  price  in  alms.  And  the  eunuch  took  it  and  went  forth  from  her,  and 
complied  with  her  command. 

But  as  to  Califa  the  Fisherman,  when  the  morning  came  and  diffused  its 
light  and  shone,  he  said,  I  have  no  occupation  to  follow  this  day  better  than 
my  going  to  the  eunuch  who  bought  of  me  the  fish ;  for  he  made  an  ap- 
pointment with  me  that  I  should  go  to  him  in  the  palace  of  the  caliph.  He 
then  went  forth  from  his  abode  to  repair  to  the  palace  of  the  caliph ;  aud 
when  he  arrived  at  it,  he  found  the  mamlouks,  and  the  black  slaves,  and 
the  eunuchs  sitting  and  standing.  So  he  looked  attentively  at  them,  and  lo, 
the  eunuch  who  took  from  him  the  fish  was  sitting  there,  with  the  mam- 
louks in  attendance  upon  him.  And  one  of  the  mamlouks  called  out  to  him; 
whereupon  the  eunuch  looked  toward  him,  to  see  who  he  was  ;  and  be- 
hold, he  saw  the  fisherman.  Therefore,  when  the  fisherman  knew  that  he 
saw  him,  and  recognized  his  person  with  certainty,  he  said  to  him.  Thou 
hast  not  failed  in  thy  duty,  O  Red-face !  Thus  are  persons  of  fidelity ! 
And  the  eunuch,  on  hearing  his  words,  laughed  at  him,  and  replied,  By 
Allah,  thou  hast  spoken  truth,  O  fisherman  !  Then  the  eunuch  Sandal  de- 
sired to  give  him  something,  and  put  his  hand  to  his  pocket.  But  just 
then  a  great  clamor  arose  ;  so  the  eunuch  raised  his  head  to  see  what  had 
happened  ;  and  lo,  the  Vizier  Giafar  the  Barmecide  was  coming  forth  from 
the  caliph.  Therefore,  when  the  eunuch  saw  him,  he  rose  to  him,  and 
walked  before  him,  and  they  both  proceeded  to  converse  together  as  they 
walked  until  the  time  became  tedious.  Califa  the  Fisherman  waited  a  con- 
siderable while,  during  which  the  eunuch  looked  not  toward  him ;  and 
when  his  standing  was  tedious  to  him,  the  fisherman  placed  himself  op- 
posite to  him,  but  at  a  distance  from  him,  and,  making  a  sign  to  him  with 
his  hand,  said,  O  my  master  Red-face,  let  me  go  !  And  the  eunuch  heard 
him,  but  was  ashamed  to  return  him  a  reply,  on  account  of  the  presence 
446 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 


(Jalifa  with  Giafar  and  the  euuuch. 


of  the  Vizier  Giafar.  He  continued  to  converse  with  the  vizier,  and  so  to 
divert  himself  from  attending  to  the  fisherman.  So  Califa  said,  O  delayer 
of  the  payment  of  thy  debt,  may  God  disgrace  every  sulky  person,  and 
every  one  who  taketh  the  goods  of  others  and  acteth  sulkily  to  them  !  I 
place  myself  under  thy  protection,  O  my  master  Fat-paunch,  begging  thee 
to  give  me  what  is  my  due,  that  I  may  go  ! 

The  eunuch  heard  him ;  but  he  was  abashed  at  Giafar ;  and  Giafar  also 
saw  him  as  he  made  signs  with  his  hands  and  talked  to  the  eunuch,  though 
he  knew  not  what  he  said  to  him  ;  and  he  said  to  the  eunuch,  disapproving 
of  his  conduct,  O  eunuch,  what  doth  this  poor  beggar  demand  of  thee  ? 
Sandal  the  eunuch  therefore  said  to  him,  Dost  thou  not  know  this  man,  O 
our  lord  the  vizier  ?  The  Vizier  Giafar  answered,  By  Allah,  I  do  not 
know  him !  And  how  (he  added)  should  I  know  this  man,  when  I  have 
not  seen  him  before  the  present  time  ?  So  the  eunuch  replied,  O  our  lord, 
this  is  the  fisherman  whose  fish  we  seized  from  the  bank  of  the  Tigris.  I 
got  not  any,  and  was  ashamed  to  return  to  the  Prmce  of  the  Faithful  with- 
out aught,  all  the  mamlouks  having  taken.  But  when  I  came  to  him,  I 
found  him  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  river,  supplicating  God,  and  having 
with  him  four  fish.  I  therefore  said  to  him,  Give  me  what  thou  hast  with 
thee,  and  receive  their  price.  And  when  he  gave  me  the  fish,  I  put  my 
hand  into  my  pocket,  desiring  to  give  him  something ;  but  found  not  in  it 
aught ;  wherefore  I  said  to  him,  Come  to  me  in  the  palace,  and  I  will  give 
thee  something  by  means  of  which  thou  mayest  seek  aid  against  thy  pov- 
erty. Accordingly,  lie  came  to  me  this  day,  and  I  put  forth  my  hand  with 
the  desire  of  giving  him  something,  and  thou  earnest;  so  I  arose  to  wait 
upon  thee,  and  was  diverted  by  thee  from  attending  to  him,  and  the  case 
became  tedious  to  him.  This  is  his  story,  and  this  is  the  reason  of  his 
standing  here.  And  when  the  vizier  heard  the  words  of  the  eunuch,  he 
smiled  at  them,  and  said,  O  eunuch,  how  is  it  that  this  fisherman  hath  come 
in  the  time  of  his  need,  and  thou  hast  not  accomplished  his  affair"?     Dost 

447 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

thou  not  know  him,  O  chief  of  the  eunuchs  ?  He  answered,  No.  And 
Giafar  said,  This  is  the  teacher  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  and  his  part- 
ner ;  and  our  lord  the  caliph  hath  arisen  this  day  with  contracted  bosom, 
mourning  heart,  and  troubled  mind,  and  there  is  nothing  that  will  dilate  his 
bosom  except  this  fisherman.  So  let  him  not  go  until  I  consult  the  caliph 
respecting  him,  and  bring  him  before  him.  Perhaps  God  will  dispel  his 
grief,  and  console  him  for  the  loss  of  Koutelkuloub,  by  means  of  his  pres- 
ence, and  he  will  give  him  something  wherewith  to  seek  for  himself  aid ; 
and  thou  wilt  be  the  cause  of  that.  The  eunuch  therefore  replied,  O  my 
lord,  do  what  thou  desirest;  and  may  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  pre- 
serve thee  as  a  pillar  of  the  dynasty  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful !  May 
God  perpetuate  its  shadow,  and  keep  its  branch  and  its  root ! 

The  Vizier  Giafar  then  went  to  the  caliph,  and  the  eunuch  commanded 
the  mamlouks  that  they  should  not  quit  the  fisherman.  So  thereupon 
Califa  the  Fisherman  said,  How  excellent  is  thy  beneficence,  O  Red-face  ! 
The  demander  hath  become  demanded  ;  for  I  came  to  demand  my  money, 
and  they  have  imprisoned  me  for  the  arrears  !  And  when  Giafar  went  in 
to  the  caliph,  he  saw  him  sitting,  hanging  down  his  head  toward  the  ground, 
with  contracted  bosom,  full  of  solicitude,  singing  some  plaintive  verses;  and 
Giafar,  standing  before  him,  said,  Peace  be  on  thee,  O  Prince  of  the 
Faithful,  and  defender  of  the  dignity  of  the  religion,  and  descendant  of  the 
uncle  of  the  Chief  of  Apostles — may  God  favor  and  preserve  him  and  all 
his  family  !  The  caliph  therefore  raised  his  head,  and  replied,  And  on 
thee  be  peace,  and  the  mercy  of  God,  and  his  blessings!  And  Giafar  said, 
With  the  permission  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  may  his  servant  speak, 
and  not  be  restrained  ?  The  caliph  replied,  And  when  was  restraint  as 
to  speech  put  upon  thee  ?  Thou,  being  the  chief  of  the  viziers,  shalt  speak 
what  thou  wilt.  So  the  Vizier  Giafar  said  to  him,  I  went  forth,  O  our 
lord,  from  before  thee,  desiring  to  repair  to  my  house,  and  I  saw  thy  master, 
and  thy  teacher,  and  thy  partner,  Califa  the  Fisherman,  standing  at  the 
gate,  and  he  was  displeased  with  thee,  and  was  complaining  of  thee,  and 
saying,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  God  !  I  have  taught  him  the  art  of 
fishing,  and  he  went  to  bring  me  two  great  baskets,  and  returned  not  to 
me ;  and  this  is  not  consistent  with  the  condition  of  partnership,  nor  the 
condition  of  teachers.  Therefore,  if  thou  desire  to  be  a  partner,  no  harm  ; 
but  if  not.  inform  him,  that  he  may  take  some  other  than  thyself  as  part- 
ner. And  when  the  caliph  heard  his  words,  he  smiled,  and  the  contrac- 
tion of  the  bosom  that  he  suffered  ceased ;  and  he  said  to  Giafar,  By  my 
life,  I  conjure  thee  to  tell  me,  is  it  true  that  thou  sayest,  that  the  fisher- 
man is  standing  at  the  gate  ?  Giafar  answered,  By  thy  life,  O  Prince  of 
the  Faithful,  he  is  standing  at  the  gate.  And  thereupon  the  caliph  said, 
O  Giafar,  by  Allah,  I  will  assuredly  endeavor  to  accomplish  that  which  is 
his  due  ;  and  if  God  send  him,  by  my  means,  misery,  he  obtaineth  it;  and 
if  He  send  him,  by  my  means,  prosperity,  he  obtaineth  it.  Then  the 
caliph  took  a  piece  of  paper  and  cut  it  in  pieces,  and  said,  O  Giafar,  write 
with  thine  own  hand  twenty  sums  of  money,  from  a  piece  of  gold  to  a 
thousand  pieces  of  gold;  and  the  posts  of  judge  and  emirs,  from  the  least 
office  to  that  of  vizier;  and  twenty  kinds  of  punishment,  from  the  slight- 
est chastisement  to  slaughter.  And  Giafar  replied,  I  hear  and  obey,  O 
Prince  of  the  Faithful.  He  wrote  the  papers  with  his  own  hand,  as  the 
caliph  commanded  him :  and  after  that  the  caliph  said,  O  Giafar,  I  swear 
448 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

by  my  pure  forefathers,  and  my  connection  by  lineage  with  Hamzah  and 
Akeil,  that  I  desire  to  cause  Califa  the  Fisherman  to  be  brought,  and  I  will 
order  him  to  take  one  of  these  papers,  the  inscription  of  which  none  shall 
know  excepting  me  and  thee  .;  and  whatever  is  written  upon  it,  I  will  give 
him  possession  thereof:  even  if  upon  it  be  written  the  office  of  vizier,  I 
will  make  him  possessor  of  it;  and  if  upon  it  be  written  hanging,  or  ampu- 
tation, or  slaughter,  I  will  do  unto  him  accordingly.  So  go  and  bring  him 
unto  me. 

When  Giafar,  therefore,  heard  these  words,  he  said  within  himself, 
There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great !  Per- 
haps there  will  prove  to  be  the  lot  of  this  poor  man  something  that  will 
occasion  his  destruction,  and  I  shall  be  the  cause.  But  the  caliph  hath 
sworn  :  so  it  only  remaineth  for  him  to  enter  ;  and  naught  will  happen  but 
what  God  desireth.  He  then  went  to  Califa  the  Fisherman  and  laid  hold 
of  his  hand,  desiring  to  enter  with  him  ;  and  upon  this  the  reason  of  Califa 
fled  from  his  head,  and  he  said  within  himself,  How  have  I  trifled,  that  I 
have  come  to  this  ill-omened  slave  Red-face,  and  he  hath  brought  me  into 
the  company  of  Fat-paunch  !  Giafar  ceased  not  to  proceed  with  him,  the 
mamlouks  being  behind  him  and  before  him,  and  Califa  saying,  Is  not  im- 
prisonment enough,  that  these  are  behind  me  and  before  me,  preventing 
my  fleeing  ?  Giafar  still  went  on  with  him  until  he  had  passed  through 
seven  ante-chambers,  when  he  said  to  Califa,  Woe  to  thee,  O  fisherman  ! 
Thou  wilt  stand  before  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  and  the  defender  of  the 
dignity  of  the  religion.  Then  he  raised  the  grand  curtain,  and  the  eye  of 
Califa  the  Fisherman  fell  upon  the  caliph,  who  was  sitting  upon  his  couch, 
with  the  lords  of  the  empire  standing  in  attendance  upon  him;  and  when 
he  knew  him,  he  advanced  to  him  and  said,  A  friendly  and  free  welcome 
to  thee,  O  piper !  It  is  not  right  in  thee  to  become  a  fisherman,  and  leave 
me  sitting  to  keep  watch  over  the  fish,  and  go,  and  not  return,  so  that  I  was 
not  aware  when  the  mamlouks  advanced,  upon  beasts  of  various  colors,  and 
snatched  the  fish  from  me,  while  1  stood  alone.  All  this  was  occasioned 
by  thee  ;  for  if  thou  hadst  come  with  the  great  baskets  quickly,  we  should 
have  sold  of  them  for  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold.  But  I  came  to  demand 
my  due,  and  they  imprisoned  me.  And  who  imprisoned  thee  also  in  this 
place?  And  the  caliph  smiled,  and,  lifting  up  the  edge  of  the  curtain,  put 
forth  his  head  from  beneath  it,  and  said  to  him,  Advance,  and  take  for  thee 
one  of  these  papei's.  So  Califa  the  Fisherman  said  to  the  Prince  of  the 
Faithful,  Thou  wast  a  fisherman,  and  I  see  thee  to-day  to  have  become  an 
astrologer.  But  when  a  man's  trades  become  many,  his  poverty  becometh 
great.  Upon  this  Giafar  said,  Take  the  paper  speedily,  without  talking,  and 
do  as  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  hath  commanded  thee.  Accordingly,  Califa 
the  Fisherman  advanced  and  put  forth  his  hand,  and  said,  Far  be  it  from 
me  that  this  piper  should  bo  again  my  young  man,  and  fish  with  me  !  He 
then  took  the  paper  and  handed  it  to  the  caliph,  and  said,  O  piper,  what 
hath  proved  to  be  written  upon  it  as  my  lot?  Conceal  not  of  it  aught. 
The  caliph  therefore  took  it  and  handed  it  to  the  Vizier  Giafar,  saying  to 
him,  Read  what  is  upon  it.  And  Giafar  looked  at  it,  and  said,  There  is 
no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  So  the  caliph 
said,  (iood  news,  O  Giafar  !  What  hast  thou  seen  upon  it  ?  He  answered, 
O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  there  hath  proved  to  be  written  upon  the  paper, 
The  fisherman  shall  receive  a  hundred  blows  with  a  stall".     And  thereupon 

449 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 


Califa  introduced  to  the  caliph. 


the  caliph  commanded  that  he  should  have  a  hundred  blows  with  a  staff  in- 
flicted upon  him  ;  and  they  complied  with  his  command  ;  and  when  they 
had  done  so,  Califa  arose,  saying,  Accursed  be  this  game,  O  Fat-paunch. 
Are  imprisonment  and  beating  among  the  conditions  of  the  game  ? 

Upon  this  Giafar  said,  O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  this  poor  man  hath 
come  to  the  great  river,  and  how  shall  he  return  thirsty  ?  We  hope  that, 
by  the  beneficence  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  he  may  be  allowed  to 
take  for  himself  another  paper,  and  perhaps  there  may  prove  to  be  written 
upon  it  as  his  lot  something  good,  so  that  he  may  return  with  it,  to  have 
recourse  to  it  for  aid  against  his  poverty.  The  caliph  replied,  By  Allah, 
O  Giafar,  if  he  take  a  paper,  and  slaughter  prove  to  be  the  lot  written  for 
him  upon  it,  I  will  assuredly  slay  him,  and  thou  wilt  be  the  cause.  Giafar 
rejoined,  Jf  he  die,  he  will  be  at  rest.  And  upon  this  Califa  the  Fisher- 
man said  to  him,  May  God  not  rejoice  thee  with  good  tidings  !  Have  I 
made  Bagdad  strait  unto  you  that  ye  seek  my  slaughter  ?  But  Giafar  re- 
plied, Take  for  thyself  a  paper,  and  beg  success  of  God,  whose  name  be 
450 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

exalted  !  And  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  took  a  paper,  and  gave  it  to 
Giafar,  who  took  it  from  him,  and  read  it,  and  was  silent*  The  caliph 
therefore  said  to  him,  Why  art  thou  silent,  O  son  of  Yahya  ?  He  an- 
swered, O  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  there  hath  proved  to  be  written  upon 
the  paper,  The  fisherman  shall  not  be  given  any  thing.  And  the  caliph 
said,  There  is  no  good  fortune  for  him  to  obtain  from  us.  Tell  him  to  de- 
part from  before  my  face.  But  Giafar  said,  By  thy  pure  forefathers,  let 
him  take  the  third.  Perhaps  good  fortune  may  betide  him  by  it.  And 
the  caliph  replied,  Let  him  take  for  himself  one  paper  more,  and  naught 
besides  it.  So  he  stretched  forth  his  hand,  and  took  the  third  paper ;  and 
lo,  on  it  was  written,  The  fisherman  shall  be  given  a  piece  of  gold.  Giafar 
therefore  said  to  Califa,  I  sought  for  thee  prosperity  ;  but  God  would  not 
that  aught  should  fall  to  thy  lot  save  this  piece  of  gold.  Califa  replied, 
Every  hundred  blows  with  a  staff'  for  a  piece  of  gold  are  abundant  good 
fortune.  May  God  not  make  thy  body  to  be  healthy!  And  the  caliph 
laughed  at  him. 

Giafar  then  took  the  hand  of  Califa.  and  went  forth  with  him  ;  and  when 
he  came  to  the  gfite,  Sandal  the  eunuch  saw  him,  and  said  to  him,  Come 
hither,  O  fisherman  !  Bestow  upon  us  a  present  from  that  which  the 
Prince  of  the  Faithful  hath  given  thee  while  jesting  with  thee.  And  Califa 
replied,  By  Allah,  thou  hast  spoken  truth,  O  Red-face  !  And  dost  thou 
desire  to  share  with  me,  O  black-skinned,  when  I  have  had  a  hundred  blows 
with  a  staff  and  received  one  piece  of  gold  ?  Thou  art  absolved  of  respons- 
ibility with  respect  to  it.  Then  he  threw  the  piece  of  gold  to  the  eunuch, 
and  went  forth,  his  tears  running  down  the  surface  of  his  cheek.  So  when 
the  eunuch  saw  him  in  this  state,  he  knew  that  he  had  spoken  truth  :  he 
therefore  went  toward  him,  and  called  out  to  the  pages,  Bring  him  back  ! 
Accordingly,  they  brought  him  back  ;  and  the  eunuch  put  his  hand  to  his 
pocket,  and  took  forth  from  it  a  red  purse,  which  he  opened  and  shook, 
and  lo,  in  it  were  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold ;  and  he  said,  O  fisherman,  take 
this  gold  as  the  price  of  thy  fish,  and  go  thy  way.  So  thereupon  Califa 
the  Fisherman  rejoiced. 

He  took  the  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and  the  caliph's  piece  of  gold,  and 
went  forth  ;  and  he  had  forgotten  the  beating.  And  as  God  (whose  name 
be  exalted  !)  desired  the  accomplishment  of  an  event  that  He  had  decreed, 
Califa  the  Fisherman  passed  through  the  market  for  female  slaves;  and 
he  saw  a  large  ring  of  persons,  comprising  many  people  ;  upon  which  he 
said  within  himself,  What  are  these  people  ?  Then  he  advanced  and 
made  his  way  among  the  people,  who  consisted  of  merchants  and  others ; 
and  the  merchants  said,  Make  room  for  tho  Captain  Zuleyt !  So  they 
made  room  for  him ;  and  Califa  looked,  and  lo,  there  was  a  sheikh  upon 
his  feet,  and  before  him  was  a  chest,  upon  which  was  sitting  a  eunuch ; 
and  the  sheikh  was  crying  and  saying,  O  merchants,  O  possessors  of  riches, 
who  will  hazard  and  hasten  to  give  his  money  for  this  chest  of  which  the 
contents  are  unknown,  from  tho  palace  of  the  Lady  Zobeide  the  daughter 
of  Kasim,  the  wife  of  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  Alrashid  ?  At  what  sum 
shall  it  be  announced  for  you  ?  May  God  bless  you  !  Upon  this  one  of 
the  merchants  said,  By  Allah,  this  is  a  hazarding;  but  I  will  say  some- 
thing for  which  L  shall  not  be  blamable.  Be  it  mine  for  twenty  pieces 
of  gold.  Another  said,  For  fifty  pieces  of  gold.  And  the  merchants  in- 
creased their  biddings  for  it  until  the  sum  offered  amounted  to  a  hundred 

451 


STORY  OF  CAL1FA  THE  FISHERMAN. 


I 

Califa  purchasing  tlie  chest. 

pieces  of  gold  ;  when  the  crier  said,  Have  ye  any  addition  to  make,  O  mer- 
chants ?  And  Califa  the  Fisherman  said,  Be  it  mine  for  a  hundred  pieces 
of  gold  and  one.  So  when  the  merchants  heard  the  words  of  Califa,  they 
imagined  that  he  was  jesting  ;  and  they  laughed  at  him,  and  said,  O  eunuch, 
sell  it  to  Califa  for  the  hundred  pieces  of  gold  and  one.  And  the  eunuch 
replied,  By  Allah,  I  will  not  sell  it  save  to  him  !  Take  it,  O  fisherman. 
May  God  bless  thee  in  it !  And  give  me  the  gold.  Califa  therefore  took 
forth  the  gold  and  delivered  it  to  the  eunuch,  and  the  contract  was  con- 
cluded. The  eunuch  then  gave  away  the  gold  in  alms  in  the  place  where 
he  stood,  and  returned  to  the  palace,  and  acquainted  the  Lady  Zobeide 
with  that  which  he  had  done  ;  whereat  she  rejoiced.  Califa  the  Fisher- 
man took  the  chest  upon  his  shoulder;  but  he  could  not  carry  it  so,  on  ac- 
count of  the  greatness  of  its  weight :  wherefore  he  carried  it  upon  his 
head,  and  came  with  it  to  the  quarter  in  which  he  dwelt,  and  put  it  down 
from  his  head.  He  had  become  fatigued ;  and  he  sat  meditating  upon  the 
events  that  had  happened  to  him,  and  began  to  say  within  himself.  Would 
that  I  knew  what  is  in  this  chest !  Then  he  opened  the  door  of  his  abode, 
and  labored  to  remove  the  chest  until  he  had  brought  it  into  his  abode; 
after  which  he  labored  to  open  it;  but  was  not  able.  So  he  said  within 
himself,  What  hath  happened  to  my  reason,  that  I  have  bought  this  chest? 
452 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

[  must  break  it,  and  see  what  is  in  it.  And  he  applied  himself  to  open 
the  lock ;  but  he  could  not ;  and  he  said  within  himself,  I  will  leave  it  till 
the  morrow. 

He  then  desired  to  sleep ;  but  found  not  a  place  in  which  to  sleep,  for 
the  chest  was  just  of  the  size  of  the  chamber  in  length  and  breadth.  He 
therefore  got  upon  it,  and  slept  on  it ;  and  after  he  had  remained  a  while, 


Califa  on  the  chest. 


something  moved ;  whereupon  Califa  was  frightened,  and  sleep  fled  from 
him,  and  his  reason  also  took  flight.  He  arose  and  said,  It  seemeth  that 
there  are  Genii  in  it.  Praise  be  to  God  who  caused  me  not  to  open  it ! 
For  if  I  had  opened  it,  they  would  have  come  upon  me  in  the  dark  and 
destroyed  me,  and  no  good  would  have  betided  me  from  them.  Then  he 
returned  and  lay  down  again  ;  and  lo,  the  chest  moved  a  second  time  more 
than  the  first  time.  Califa  therefore  arose  and  stood  up,  and  said,  This  is 
another  time;  but  it  is  alarming!  And  he  hastened  to  get  a  lamp;  but 
found  it  not,  and  he  had  not  aught  wherewith  to  buy  a  lamp.  So  he 
went  forth  from  the  house,  and  called  out,  O  people  of  the  quarter  !  And 
most  of  the  people  of  the  quarter  were  sleeping;  and  they  awoke  at  his 
cry,  and  said,  What  aileth  thee,  O  Califa?  He  answered,  Come  to  me 
witli  a  lamp;  for  the  Genii  have  come  forth  upon  me!  They  therefore 
laughed  at  him,  and  gave  him  a  lamp,  and  he  took  it  and  went  with  it  into 
his  abode.  He  then  beat  the  lock  of  the  chest  with  a  stone  and  broke  it, 
and  opened  the  chest ;  and  lo,  he  beheld  a  damsel  like  an  houri  lying  in  the 
chest.  She  had  been  stupefied  with  bhang,  and  having  then  vomited  the 
bhang,  and  recovered  her  senses,  she  opened  her  eyes  and  became  sensi- 
ble of  her  confinement,  and  moved.     So  when  Califa  saw  her,  he  rose  to 

453 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

her,  and  said,  By  Allah,  O  my  mistress,  whence  art  thou  ?  And  she 
opened  her  eyes,  and  said,  Bring  me  Jasmiu  and  Narcissa.  Califa  replied, 
There  is  nothing  here  but  henna.  And  upon  this  she  recovered  her  con- 
sciousness, and,  seeing  Califa,  she  said  to  him,  What  art  thou  ?  Then  she 
said,  And  where  am  I  ?  He  answered  her,  Thou  art  in  my  house.  She 
said,  Am  I  not  in  the  palace  of  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alrashid  ?  He  replied, 
What  is  Alrashid,  O  mad  woman  ?  Thou  art  naught  but  my  slave  girl, 
and  this  day  I  bought  thee  for  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  and  one,  and  brought 
thee  to  my  house,  and  thou  wast  in  this  chest,  asleep.  And  when  the 
damsel  heard  his  words,  she  said  to  him,  What  is  thy  name?  He  an- 
swered, My  name  is  Califa.  And  how  is  it  (he  added)  that  my  star  hath 
become  fortunate,  when  I  know  that  my  star  was  not  so?  And  she 
laughed,  and  said,  Cease  to  trouble  me  with  these  words.  Hast  thou  any 
thing  to  be  eaten  ?  He  answered,  By  Allah,  I  have  not  even  any  thing  to 
be  drunk  ;  and  I,  by  Allah,  have  passed  two  days  without  eating  aught,  and 
I  am  now  in  want  of  a  morsel.  So  she  said  to  him,  Hast  thou  not  any 
money  ?  He  replied,  Allah  preserve  this  chest  which  hath  reduced  me  to 
poverty  !  For  I  have  given  what  I  had  for  it,  and  become  a  bankrupt. 
And  the  damsel  laughed  at  him,  and  said,  Arise,  seek  of  thy  neighbors 
something  that  I  may  eat ;  for  I  am  hungry, 

Califa  therefore  arose  and  went  forth  from  the  chamber,  and  cried  out, 

0  people  of  the  quarter!  And  they  were  sleeping:  so  they  awoke  and 
said,  What  aileth  thee,  O  Califa  ?  He  answered,  O  my  neighbors,  I  am 
hungry,  and  I  have  not  any  thing  for  me  to  eat.  And  upon  this  one  came 
down  to  him  with  a  cake  of  bread,  and  another  with  a  fragment  of  bread, 
and  another  with  a  bit  of  cheese,  and  auother  with  a  cucumber.  Thus  his 
lap  was  filled,  and  he  entered  the  chamber  and  put  the  whole  before  her, 
saying  to  her,  Eat.     But  she  laughed  at  him,  and  said  to  him,  How  shall 

1  eat  of  this,  when  I  have  not  a  mug  of  water  whereof  to  drink,  so  that  I 
fear  I  may  be  choked  with  a  morsel,  and  die  ?  Califa  therefore  said,  I  will 
fill  for  thee  this  jar.  And  he  took  the  jar,  and  went  forth  into  the  midst 
of  the  quarter,  and  called  out,  O  people  of  the  quarter !  So  they  said  to 
him,  What  is  thy  misfortune  this  night,  O  Califa?  And  he  answered 
them,  Ye  gave  me,  and  I  have  eaten ;  but  I  am  thirsty  :  therefore  give  me 
to  drink.  And  this  one  came  down  to  him  with  a  mug,  and  this  with  a 
ewer,  and  this  with  a  water-bottle  ;  and  he  filled  the  jar,  went  with  it  into 
the  chamber,  and  said  to  the  damsel,  O  my  mistress,  there  remaineth  to 
thee  no  want.  She  replied,  True,  there  remaineth  to  me  no  want  at 
present.  He  then  said  to  her,  Speak  to  me,  and  tell  me  thy  story.  And 
she  replied,  Woe  to  thee  !  If  thou  know  me  not,  I  will  acquaint  thee  with 
myself.  I  am  Koutelkuloub,  the  slave  girl  of  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alrashid. 
The  Lady  Zobeide  hath  become  jealous  of  me,  and  stupefied  me  with 
bhang,  and  put  me  into  this  chest.  Then  she  said,  Praise  be  to  God  that 
this  easy  event  happened,  and  that  another  event,  happened  not !  But  this 
happened  not  to  me  save  for  the  sake  of  thy  good  fortune  ;  for  thou  wilt 
undoubtedly  receive  from  the  Caliph  Alrashid  a  large  sum  of  money,  that 
will  be  the  cause  of  thy  becoming  rich.  Upon  this  Califa  said  to  her,  Is 
not  he  Alrashid  in  whose  palace  I  was  imprisoned  ?  She  answered,  Yes. 
And  he  said,  By  Allah,  I  have  not  beheld  any  one  more  avaricious  than  he, 
that  piper  of  little  goodness  and  intellect !  For  he  caused  me  to  receive, 
yesterday,  a  hundred  blows  with  a  staff',  and  gave  me  one  piece  of  gold, 

454 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

although  I  had  taught  him  the  art  of  fishing,  and  made  him  my  partner  ; 
and  he  acted  perfidiously  to  me.  So  she  said  to  him,  Abstain  from  this 
foul  language,  and  open  thine  eyes,  and  behave  respectfully  when  thou 
seest  him  after  this ;  for  if  so,  thou  wilt  attain  thy  desire.  And  when  he 
heard  her  words,  he  was  as  though  he  had  been  sleeping,  and  awoke;  and 
God  removed  the  veil  from  his  judgment,  for  the  sake  of  his  good  fortune; 
wherefore  he  replied,  On  the  head  and  the  eye.  Then  he  said  to  her,  In 
the  name  of  Allab,  sleep. 

Accordingly,  she  arose  and  laid  herself  down  and  slept,  and  he  slept  at 
a  distance  from  her  until  the  morning;  and  when  she  arose  in  the  morn- 
ing, she  demanded  of  him  an  ink-case  and  a  piece  of  paper.  So  he  brought 
them  to  her ;  and  she  wrote  to  the  merchant  who  was  the  companion  of 
the  caliph,  acquainting  him  with  her  case,  and  the  events  that  had  hap- 
pened to  her ;  that  she  was  in  the  abode  of  Califa  the  Fisherman,  and  that 
he  had  purchased  her.  Then  she  gave  to  him  the  paper,  and  said  to  him, 
Take  this  paper,  and  go  with  it  to  the  jewel  market,  and  inquire  for  the 
shop  of  Benkernas  the  Jeweler,  and  give  him  this  paper  without  speaking. 
Califa  therefore  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  He  took  the  paper  from  her 
hand,  and  went  with  it  to  the  jewel  market,  and  inquired  for  the  shop  of 
Benkernas.  So  they  directed  him  to  it,  and  he  came  to  him  and  saluted 
him,  and  he  returned  his  salutation,  but  despised  him,  and  said  to  him, 
What  dost  thou  want?  And  he  handed  to  him  the  paper,  which  he  took; 
but  he  read  it  not,  imagining  that  he  was  a  pauper,  who  desired  of  him  an 
alms ;  wherefore  he  said  to  one  of  his  pages,  Give  him  half  a  piece  of  sil- 
ver. So  Califa  said  to  him,  I  have  no  need  of  alms ;  but  read  thou  the 
paper.  He  therefore  took  the  paper  and  read  it,  and  he  understood  its 
contents  ;  and  when  he  knew  what  it  contained,  he  kissed  it,  and  put  it  on 
his  head,  and,  rising,  he  said  to  Califa,  O  my  brother,  where  is  thy  house  ? 
Califa  said  to  him,  And  what  desirest  thou  with  regard  to  my  house  ?  Is 
it  thy  desire  to  go  to  it  to  steal  my  slave  girl  ?  He  answered  him,  No;  but 
I  will  buy  for  thee  something  that  thou  shalt  eat  with  her.  So  thereupon 
Califa  replied,  My  abode  is  in  such  a  quarter.  And  the  jeweler  said  to 
him,  Thou  hast  done  well.  May  God  not  give  thee  health,  O  unfortunate  ! 
Then  he  cried  out  to  two  of  his  black  slaves,  and  said  to  them,  Go  with  this 
man  to  the  shop  of  Mohsin  the  Money-changer,  and  say  to  him,  O  Mohsin, 
give  this  person  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold ;  and  return  ye  with  him  to  me 
speedily.  Accordingly,  the  two  slaves  went  with  Califa  to  the  shop  of 
the  money-changer,  and  said  to  him,  O  Mohsin,  give  this  man  a  thousand 
pieces  of  gold.  He  therefore  gave  him  them,  and  Califa  took  them,  and 
returned  with  the  two  slaves  to  the  shop  of  their  master,  whom  they  found 
riding  upon  a  light-paced  mule  worth  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  with  the 
mamlouks  and  pages  around  him,  and  by  the  side  of  his  mule  was  a  mule 
like  it,  saddled  and  bridled.  The  jeweler  then  said  to  Califa,  In  the  name 
of  Allah,  mount  this  mule.  But  Califa  replied.  I  -will  not  mount.  By  Al- 
lah, I  fear  that  she  would  throw  me.  The  merchant  Benkernas,  however, 
said  to  him,  By  Allah,  thou  must  mount.  So  Califa  advanced  to  mount 
her,  and  he  mounted  her  back-foremost,  and  laid  hold  of  her  tail,  and  cried 
out;  whereupon  she  threw  him  on  the  ground,  and  the  people  laughed  at 
him ;  and  ho  rose  and  said,  Hid  I  not  say  to  thee,  1  will  not  mouut  this 
great  ass  ? 

Then  Benkernas  left  Califa  in  the  market,  and  wont  to  the  Prince  of  the 

455 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN 


Califa  thrown  from  the  mule. 


Faithful,  and  gave  him  information  of  the  damsel ;  after  which  he  returned 
and  removed  her  to  his  own  house.  And  Califa  went  to  his  house  to  see 
the  damsel,  and  beheld  the  people  of  the  quarter  assembled,  and  saying, 
Verily  Califa  is  to-day  altogether  terrified  !  Whence  can  this  damsel  have 
come  into  his  possession  ?  And  one  of  them  said,  This  man  is  a  mad  ras- 
cal. Probably  he  found  her  in  the  way,  intoxicated,  and  carried  her  and 
brought  her  to  his  house,  and  hath  not  absented  himself  save  because  he 
knew  his  crime.  And  while  they  were  talking,  lo,  Califa  approached  them; 
and  they  said  to  him,  How  is  thy  condition,  O  poor  man  ?  Dost  thou  not 
know  what  hath  happened  to  thee  ?  He  answered,  No,  by  Allah.  And 
they  said,  Just  now  some  mamlouks  came  and  took  thy  slave  girl,  and  they 
sought  thee,  but  found  thee  not.  So  Califa  said,  How  did  they  take  my 
slave  girl  ?  And  one  said,  Had  he  fallen  in  their  way,  they  had  slain  him. 
And  Califa  paid  no  regard  to  them  ;  but  returned,  running,  to  the  shop  of 
Benkernas ;  and  he  saw  him  riding,  and  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  it  is  not 
right  in  thee ;  for  thou  divertedst  my  attention,  and  sentest  thy  mamlouks, 
and  they  have  taken  my  slave  girl.  And  he  replied,  O  madman,  come 
hither,  and  be  thou  silent!  Then  he  took  him  and  conducted  him  to  a 
house  of  handsome  construction,  which  he  entered  with  him,  and  he  saw 
the  damsel  sitting  in  it  upon  a  couch  of  gold,  surrounded  by  ten  slave  girls 
resembling  moons.  And  when  Benkernas  saw  her,  he  kissed  the  ground 
before  her ;  and  she  said  to  him,  What  hast  thou  done  with  my  new  mas- 
ter, who  purchased  me  with  all  that  he  possessed  ?  He  answered  her,  O 
my  mistress,  I  have  given  him  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  And  he  related 
to  her  the  story  of  Califa  from  its  beginning  to  its  end  ;  whereupon  she 
laughed,  and  said,  Blame  him  not  •  for  he  is  a  man  of  the  vulgar  class. 
Then  she  said,  And  these  thousand  pieces  of  gold  besides  are  a  present 
from  me  to  him  ;  and  if  it'be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!),  he 
shall  receive  from  the  caliph  what  will  enrich  him. 

Now  while  they  were  talking,  lo,  a  eunuch  from  the  palace  of  the  caliph 
advanced,  demanding  Koutelkuloub ;  for  the  caliph  knew  that  she  was  in  the 
456 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

house  of  Benkernas;  and  when  he  knew  that,  he  could  not  endure  her  ab- 
sence, wherefore  he  gave  orders  to  bring  her.  And  when  she  went  to  him, 
she  took  Califa  with  her.  She  went  on  until  she  approached  the  caliph; 
and  on  her  coining  to  him,  she  kissed  the  ground  before  him  ;  and  he  rose 
to  her,  and  saluted  her,  and  welcomed  her,  and  asked  her  how  had  been 
her  state  with  him  who  had  purchased  her.  So  she  answered  him,  He  is 
a  man  named  Califa  the  Fisherman,  and  here  he  is  standing  at  the  gate  ; 
and  he  hath  mentioned  to  me  that  he  hath  a  reckoning  to  make  with  our 
lord  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  on  account  of  the  partnership  that  was  be- 
tween him  and  the  Prince  of  the  Faithful  in  the  trade  of  fishing.  Upon 
this  the  caliph  said,  Is  he  standing  there  ?  She  answered,  Yes.  And  he 
gave  orders  to  bring  him.     Therefore  he  came  ;  and  he  kissed  the  ground 


Califa  taken  to  the  caliph. 


before  the  caliph,  and  prayed  for  the  continuance  of  his  glory  and  bless- 
ings; and  the  caliph  wondered  at  him,  and  laughed  at  him,  and  asked  him 
how'be  had  conducted  himself  to  Koutelkuloub.  So  ho  told  him  that  he 
had  treated  her  respectfully,  and  he  repeated  to  him  the  account  of  all  that 
hail  happened  tu  him  from  fust  to  lust,  while  the  caliph  laughed  at  him.  He 
Vol.  li.—  V  457 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN. 

told  him  the  story  of  the  eunuch,  and  what  happened  to  him  with  him,  and 
how  he  gave  him  the  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  in  addition  to  the  piece  of 
gold  that  he  had  received  from  the  caliph.  He  told  him,  also,  of  his  enter- 
ing the  market,  and  his  buying  the  chest  for  the  hundred  pieces  of  gold  and 
one,  not  knowing  what  was  in  it;  and  he  related  to  him  the  whole  story, 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  And  the  caliph  laughed  at  him  ;  his  bosom 
became  dilated,  and  he  said  to  him,  We  will  do  as  thou  desirest,  O  thou 
who  hast  conveyed  to  the  owner  his  rightful  property !  Then  he  was 
silent.  And  after  that  the  caliph  gave  orders  to  present  him  with  fifty 
thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  a  sumptuous  robe  of  honor,  of  the  apparel  of 
the  great  caliphs,  and  a  mule ;  and  he  gave  to  him  black  slaves  to  serve 
him.  Thus  he  became  as  though  he  were  one  of  the  kings  of  that  age. 
And  the  caliph  was  rejoiced  at  the  return  of  his  slave  girl,  and  knew  that 
all  this  was  of  the  doings  of  the  Lady  Zobeide,  the  daughter  of  his  uncle  ; 
wherefore  his  rage  against  her  was  excessive,  and  he  forsook  her  for  a 
length  of  time,  and  visited  her  not,  nor  inclined  to  her. 

So  when  she  was  certified  thereof,  she  was  affected  with  great  anxiety 
on  account  of  his  wrath.  Her  complexion  became  sallow  after  redness; 
and  when  endurance  wearied  her,  she  sent  a  letter  to  the  son  of  her  uncle, 
the  Prince  of  the  Faithful,  apologizing  to  him,  and  confessing  her  crime  ; 
and  she  recited  these  verses  : 

I  long  to  experience  your  former  approbation,  that  I  may  quench  the  fire  of  my 
grief  and  sorrow. 

0  my  lord,  have  pity  for  the  excess  of  my  passion ;  for  this  that  I  have  suffered 
from  you  is  sufficient  ! 

My  patience  hath  failed  since  your  estrangement,  O  my  beloved,  and  what  was 
bright  in  my  life  you  have  rendered  turbid. 

1  shall  live  if  you  fulfill  the  vows  that  you  made  me  ;  and  if  you  grant  me  not  ful- 
fillment, I  shall  die. 

Suppose  I  have  committed  a  crime :  forgive  it.     For,  by  Allah,  how  sweet  is  the 
beloved  when  he  pardoneth  ! 

Therefore,  when  the  letter  of  the  Lady  Zobeide  came  to  the  Prince  of  the 
Faithful,  and  he  read  it,  he  knew  that  she  had  acknowledged  her  crime, 
and  sent  to  apologize  to  him  for  that  which  she  had  done.  So  he  said  within 
himself,  Verily  God  forgiveth  all  sins ;  for  He  is  the  very  forgiving,  the  mer- 
ciful. And  he  sent  to  her  a  reply  to  her  letter,  containing  the  expression 
of  his  satisfaction,  and  forgiveness  and  pardon  of  what  was  past:  whereupon 
she  experienced  great  joy. 

The  caliph  then  assigned  Califa  a  monthly  allowance  of  fifty  pieces  of 
gold,  and  he  acquired,  in  the  estimation  of  the  caliph,  great  dignity  and  high 
rank,  and  honor  and  respect.  Califa  kissed  the  ground  before  the  Prince 
of  the  Faithful  on  his  going  forth,  and  went  forth  walking  with  stately  gait ; 
and  when  he  came  to  the  entrance,  the  eunuch  who  had  given  him  the 
hundred  pieces  of  gold  saw  him  and  knew  him,  and  said  to  him,  O  fisher- 
man, whence  came  to  thee  all  this  ?  So  he  told  him  what  had  happened 
to  him  from  first  to  last.  And  the  eunuch  rejoiced  at  that,  seeing  that  he 
had  been  the  cause  of  his  becoming  rich  ;  and  he  said  to  him,  Wilt  thou  not 
give  me  a  present  from  this  wealth  that  hath  become  thine  ?  And  Califa 
put  his  hand  to  his  pocket,  and  took  forth  from  it  a  purse  containing  a  thou- 
sand pieces  of  gold,  which  he  handed  to  the  eunuch ;  but  the  eunuch  said 
to  him,  Take  thy  wealth.  May  God  bless  thee  in  it!  And  he  wondered 
at  his  generosity  and  the  liberality  of  his  mind,  considering  his  late  poverty. 
458 


STORY  OF  CALIFA  THE  FISHERMAN". 

Califa  then  went  forth  from  the  eunuch,  riding  upon  the  mule,  and  attended 
by  the  servants  with  their  hands  upon  her  haunches.  Thus  he  proceeded 
until  he  came  to  the  khan,  the  people  diverting  themselves  with  gazing  at 
him,  and  wondering  at  the  glory  that  had  betided  him  ;  and  they  advanced 
to  him  after  he  had  alighted  from  the  mule,  and  asked  him  respecting  the 
cause  of  that  good  fortune.  He  therefore  acquainted  them  with  the  events 
that  had  happened  to  him  from  first  to  last.  Then  he  purchased  a  honse 
of  handsome  structure,  and  expended  upon  it  a  large  sum  of  money,  so 
that  it  became  perfect  in  beauty.  He  took  up  his  abode  in  that  house  ;  and 
when  he  had  settled  himself  in  it,  he  demanded  for  himself  in  marriage  one 
of  the  daughters  of  the  chief  men  of  the  city,  of  the  beautiful  damsels,  and 
took  her  as  his  wife ;  and  he  experienced  the  utmost  delight,  and  exceed- 
ing pleasure  and  happiness.  He  became  in  a  state  of  abundant  affluence 
and  complete  prosperity;  and  when  he  beheld  himself  in  that  state  of  enjoy- 
ment, he  thanked  God  (whose  perfection  be  extolled,  and  whose  name  be 
exalted  !)  for  the  abundant  affluence  and  successive  favors  that  he  had  be- 
stowed upon  him,  praising  his  Lord  with  the  praise  of  the  grateful.  He 
used  frequently  to  visit  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alrashid,  being  well  received  by 
him,  and  Alrashid  used  to  cover  him  with  his  benefits  and  munificence. 
So  Califa  ceased  not  to  live  in  a  state  of  the  most  perfect  affluence,  and 
happiness,  and  glory,  and  hilarity,  enjoying  abundant  wealth  and  rising 
elevation,  and  a  pleasant,  agreeable  life,  and  pure,  grateful  delight,  until  he 
was  visited  by  the  terminator  of  delights  and  the  separator  of  companions. 
Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  Him  to  whom  belong  glory  and  permanence, 
and  who  is  living,  everlasting,  who  will  never  die  ! 


459 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF    THE   NINE  HUNDRED   AND  THIRTIETH   NIGHT, 
AND  ENDING  WITH    PART   OF   THE    NINE    HUNDRED   AND   FORTIETH. 


THE  STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

There  were,  in  the  city  of  Alexandria,  two  men,  one  of  whom  was  a 
dyer,  and  his  name  was  Aboukir,  and  the  other  was  a  barber,  and  his 
name  was  Abousir ;  and  they  were  neighbors,  one  to  the  other,  in  the 
market ;  the  shop  of  the  barber  being  by  the  side  of  the  shop  of  the  dyer. 
The  dyer  was  a  swindler,  a  liar,  a  person  of  exceeding  wickedness  :  he 
was  as  though  the  temple  of  his  head  were  cut  out  of  rock,  or  made  from 
the  threshold  of  the  synagogue  of  the  Jews  :  he  was  not  ashamed  of  any 
disgraceful  action  that  he  committed  among  the  people.  It  was  his  custom, 
when  any  one  gave  him  a  piece  of  stuff  to  dye,  to  demand  of  him  the  pay 
first,  and  to  make  him  believe  that  he  would  buy  with  it  materials  where- 
with to  dye.  So  the  man  would  give  him  the  pay  in  advance;  and  when 
he  had  received  it  of  him,  he  would  expend  it  for  food  and  drink.  Then 
he  would  sell  the  stuff  that  he  had  received,  after  its  owner  had  gone,  and 
expend  its  price  for  food,  and  drink,  and  other  things.  He  ate  nothing  but 
460 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

what  was  good,  of  the  most  excellent  of  food  ;  nor  did  he  drink  save  of  the 
best  of  the  drinks  that  dispelled  the  reason.  And  when  the  owner  of  the  stuff 
came  to  him,  he  would  say  to  him,  To- morrow  come  to  me  before  sunrise, 
and  thou  wilt  find  thy  stuff  dyed.  Therefore  the  owner  would  go,  and  say 
within  himself,  One  day  soon  followeth  another.  Then  he  would  come  to 
him  the  next  day  at  the  time  appointed  ;  and  the  dyer  would  say  to  him, 
Come  to-morrow ;  for  yesterday  I  was  not  at  leisure,  having  with  me 
guests  ;  so  I  was  occupied  in  doing  what  was  expedient  for  them  until 
they  went.  To-morrow,  before  sunrise,  come  and  receive  thy  stuff  dyed. 
And  he  would  go,  and  come  to  him  again  on  the  third  day  ;  when  the  dyer 
would  say  to  him,  Verily  I  was  yesterday  excusable  ;  for  my  wife  gave 
birth  to  a  child  in  the  night,  and  all  the  day  I  was  engaged  in  transacting 
affairs;  but  to-morrow,  without  fail,  come  and  receive  thy  stuff  dyed. 
The  man  would  therefore  come  to  him  again  at  the  time  appointed,  and 
the  dyer  would  practice  with  him  some  other  stratagem  of  any  kind,  and 
swear  to  him.  And  he  would  not  cease  to  promise  him  and  to  swear 
when  he  came  to  him,  until  the  customer  would  become  impatient,  and 
say  to  him,  How  often  wilt  thou  say  to  me,  To-morrow  ?  Give  me  my 
stuff;  for  I  do  not  desire  it  to  be  dyed.  And  thereupon  the  dyer  would 
say,  Ety  Allah,  O  my  brother,  I  am  abashed  at  thee ;  but  I  will  tell  thee 
the  truth  ;  and  may  God  harm  every  one  who  harmeth  men  with  respect 
to  their  goods  !  So  the  man  would  say  to  him,  Tell  me  what  hath  hap- 
pened. And  he  would  reply,  As  to  thy  stuff,  I  dyed  it  in  a  manner  un- 
equaled,  and  spread  it  upon  the  rope,  and  it  was  stolen,  and  I  know  not 
who  stole  it.  Therefore,  if  the  owner  of  the  stuff  were  of  the  people  of 
kindness,  he  would  say  to  him,  God  will  compensate  me.  And  if  he  were 
of  the  people  of  malevolence,  he  would  persevere  in  disgracing  and  insult- 
ing him  ;  but  nothing  would  he  get  from  him,  even  if  he  complained  of  him 
to  the  magistrate. 

He  ceased  not  to  do  these  deeds  until  he  became  notorious  among  the 
people,  and  they  used  to  caution  one  another  against  him,  and  to  make  him 
a  subject  of  proverbs.  They  all  abstained  from  employing  him  ;  and  none 
used  to  fall  into  his  snare  save  he  who  was  ignorant  of  his  conduct ;  but 
notwithstanding  this,  he  was  sure  to  experience,  every  day,  insult  and  dis- 
grace from  the  creatures  of  God.  So  his  trade  became  dull  in  consequence 
thereof,  and  he  used  to  come  to  the  shop  of  his  neighbor  the  barber 
Abousir,  and  to  sit  in  it,  facing  the  dyeing  shop,  and  looking  at  its  door ; 
and  if  he  saw  any  one  ignorant  of  his  conduct  standing  at  the  door  of  the 
dyeing  shop,  and  having  with  him  something  which  he  desired  to  be  dyed, 
he  would  rise  from  the  shop  of  the  barber,  and  say,  What  dost  thou  want, 
O  man  ?  He  would  answer  him,  Take  and  dye  for  me  this  thing.  And 
he  would  say,  What  color  dost  thou  desire  ?  For,  with  all  these  bad  quali- 
ties, he  was  able  to  dye  all  colors  ;  but  he  never  acted  honestly  with  any 
one,  and  poverty  overcame  him.  Then  he  would  take  the  thing  of  the 
man,  and  say  to  him,  (Jive  me  the  pay  in  advance,  and  to-morrow  come 
and  take  the  thing.  And  the  man  would  give  him  the  pay,  and  depart ; 
and  after  the  owner  of  the  thing  had  gone  his  way,  he  would  take  that 
thing,  and  repair  to  the  market,  and  sell  it,  and  buy,  with  its  price,  meat 
aiul  vegetables,  and  tobacco  and  fruit,  and  what  else  he  required.  And 
when  he  saw  standing  at  his  shop  any  one  of  those  who  had  given  him 
things  to  dye,  he  would  not  appear  to   him,  nor  show  himself  to  him. 

461 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

Thus  he  continued  to  do  for  years  ;  but  it  happened  to  him,  one  day,  that 
he  received  a  thing  of  a  violent  man,  and  sold  it,  and  expended  its  price ; 
and  its  owner  came  to  him  every  day,  but  saw  him  not  in  the  shop  ;  for 
whenever  the  dyer  saw  any  one  who  had  aught  to  demand  of  him,  he  used 
to  fly  from  him  into  the  shop  of  the  barber  Abousir.  And  when  that 
violent  man  had  not  found  him  in  his  shop,  and  this  conduct  of  his  wearied 
him,  he  repaired  to  the  cadi,  and,  having  brought  one  of  his  sergeants  to 
his  shop,  nailed  up  its  door  in  the  presence  of  a  company  of  the  faithful, 


Door  of  Aboukir's  shop  nailed  up. 


and  sealed  it ;  for  he  saw  not  in  it  aught  excepting  some  earthen  basins 
broken  in  pieces,  and  found  not  in  it  any  thing  to  compensate  him  for  his 
stuff.  Then  the  sergeant  took  the  key,  and  said  to  the  neighbors,  Tell 
him  to  bring  the  property  of  this  man,  and  come  to  receive  the  key  of  his 
shop.     And  the  man  and  the  sergeant  went  their  ways. 

Abousir,  upon  this,  said  to  Aboukir,  What  is  thy  misfortune  ?  For 
every  one  who  bringeth  to  thee  a  thing  thou  makest  to  lose  it.  Whither 
is  gone  the  property  of  this  violent  man  ?  O  my  neighbor,  he  answered, 
verily  it  was  stolen  from  me.  Wonderful !  replied  Abousir.  Whenever 
any  one  giveth  thee  a  thing,  doth  a  thief  steal  it  from  thee  ?  Art  thou  at 
enmity  with  all  the  thieves  ?  But  I  imagine  that  thou  liest.  Acquaint 
me,  then,  with  thy  case.  And  he  said,  O  my  neighbor,  no  one  has  stolen 
from  me  aught.  Then  what  dost  thou,  asked  Abousir,  with  the  men's 
462 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

goods  ?  He  answered  him,  Whenever  any  one  giveth  me  aught,  I  sell  it, 
and  expend  its  price.  Abousir  said  to  him,  Is  this  allowed  thee  by  God  ? 
Aboukir  replied,  I  do  this  only  in  consequence  of  poverty ;  for  my  trade  is 
unprofitable,  and  I  am  a  poor  man,  having  nothing  in  my  possession.  And 
he  proceeded  to  talk  to  him  of  the  unprofitableness  of  his  trade,  and  the 
littleness  of  his  business  ;  and  Abousir  spoke  to  him  of  the  unprofitableness 
of  his  trade  also,  and  said,  I  am  a  craftsmaster ;  I  have  no  equal  in  this 
city ;  but  no  one  is  shaved  at  my  shop  because  I  am  a  poor  man,  and  I 
have  conceived  a  hatred  for  this  art,  O  my  brother.  So  Aboukir  the  Dyer 
said  to  him,  And  I  also  have  conceived  a  hatred  for  my  art  on  account  of 
its  unprofitableness.  But,  O  my  brother,  what  is  the  inducement  for  our 
residing  in  this  town  ?  Let  me  and  thee  journey  from  it,  and  divert  our- 
selves in  other  countries,  and  our  arts,  which  we  shall  carry  with  us,  will 
be  in  demand  in  all  countries;  and  when  we  travel,  we  shall  enjoy  the 
fresh  air,  and  be  relieved  from  this  excessive  anxiety.  And  Aboukir  ceased 
not  to  commend  travel  to  Abousir  until  the  latter  became  desirous  of  emi- 
gration. So  they  both  agreed  to  travel,  and  Aboukir  rejoiced  that  Abousir 
was  desirous  of  doing  so;  and  he  recited  these  verses : 

Transport  thyself  from  home  in  search  of  eminence,  and  travel ;  for  in  travels  are 

five  advantages : 
The  dispelling  of  anxiety,  and  the  gaining  of  subsistence,  and  knowledge,  and 

good  manners,  and  the  society  of  the  noble. 
If  it  be  said  that  in  travels  are  grief  and  affliction,  and  the  disunion  of  friends,  and 

the  incurring  of  difficulties, 
The  death  of  a  man  is  better  than  his  living  in  the  abode  of  contempt  between  the 

slanderer  and  the  envier. 

And  when  they  determined  to  travel,  Aboukir  said  to  Abousir,  O  my 
neighbor,  we  have  become  brothers,  and  there  is  no  difference  between  us : 
so  it  is  requisite  that  we  recite  the  opening  chapter  of  the  Koran  in  confirm- 
ation of  our  agreement  that  he  of  us  who  is  occupied  shall  make  gain  and 
feed  him  of  us  who  is  unoccupied,  and  whatever  remaineth  we  will  put  into 
a  chest;  and  when  we  return  to  Alexandria,  we  will  divide  it  between  us 
truly  and  equally.  Abousir  replied,  And  it  shall  be  so.  And  they  recited 
the  chapter  in  confirmation  of  their  agreement  that  the  occupied  should 
make  gain  and  feed  the  unoccupied. 

Abousir  locked  his  shop,  and  gave  the  keys  to  its  owner ;  and  Aboukir 
left  the  key  of  his  shop  with  the  sergeant  of  the  cadi,  and  left  the  shop 
closed  and  sealed.  Then  they  took  their  things,  and  in  the  morning  they 
set  forth,  embarking  in  a  galleon  upon  the  sea.  They  departed  that  day, 
and  aid  attended  them;  and  by  the  complete  good  fortune  of  the  barber,  it 
happened  that  among  all  who  were  in  the  galleou  there  was  not  a  single 
barber  ;  and  there  were  in  it  a  hundred  and  twenty  men,  besides  the  captain 
and  the  sailors.  And  when  they  loosed  the  sails  of  the  galleon,  the  barber 
arose  and  said  to  the  dyer,  O  my  brother,  this  is  a  sea  :  we  stand  in  need 
here  of  food  and  drink,  and  we  have  not  with  us  more  than  a  little  stock 
of  provisions  ;  but  probably  some  one  will  say  to  me,  Come  hither,  O  bar- 
ber, shave  me  ;  and  I  will  shave  him  for  a  cake  of  bread,  or  for  a  farthing, 
or  for  a  drink  (if  water:  so  I  shall  profit  thereby,  I  and  thou.  And  the 
dyer  replied,  No  harm.  Then  he  laid  down  his  head  and  slept,  while  the 
barber  arose  and  took  his  apparatus,  together  with  the  cup,  and,  having 
put  upon  his  shoulder  a  piece  of  rag  to  serve  instead  of  the  towel  (for  he 

463 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR 


Abousir  shaving  a  passenger  iu  the  galleon. 


was  a  poor  man),  passed  amid  the  passengers;  and  one  said  to  him,  Come 
hither,  O  craftsmaster :  shave  me.  So  he  shaved  him;  and  when  he  had 
shaved  that  man,  he  gave  him  a  farthing ;  whereupon  the  barber  said  to 
him,  O  my  brother,  I  have  no  need  of  this  farthing;  and  hadst  thou  given 
me  a  cake  of  bread,  it  had  been  a  more  blessed  gift  to  me  on  this  sea  ;  for 
I  have  a  companion,  and  our  provisions  are  but  little.  And  he  gave  him  a 
cake  of  bread  and  a  piece  of  cheese,  and  filled  for  him  the  cup  with  fresh 
water.  He  therefore  took  those  things,  and  came  to  Aboukir,  and  said  to 
him,  Take  this  cake  of  bread,  and  eat  it  with  the  cheese,  and  drink  what 
is  in  the  cup.  And  he  took  them  of  him,  and  ate  and  drank.  Then 
Abousir  the  Barber,  after  that,  took  his  apparatus,  with  the  rag  upon  his 
shoulder  and  the  cup  in  his  hand,  and  went  about  the  galleon,  among  the 
passengers ;  and  he  shaved  one  man  for  two  cakes  of  bread,  and  another 
for  a  piece  of  cheese.  Demands  were  made  for  his  services ;  and  when- 
ever any  one  said  to  him,  Shave  me,  O  craftsmaster,  he  bargained  with 
him  for  two  cakes  of  bread  and  a  farthing;  and  there  being  in  the  galleou 
464 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

no  barbel-  besides  him,  sunset  came  not  before  he  had  collected  thirty  cakes 
of  bread  and  fifteen  farthings  ;  besides  which  he  got  cheese,  and  olives,  and 
caviar.  Whenever  he  demanded  any  thing,  they  gave  it  him,  so  that  he 
became  in  possession  of  an  abundance  of  things.  He  also  shaved  the  cap- 
tain, and  complained  to  him  of  the  smallness  of  his  stock  of  provisions  for 
the  voyage ;  and  the  captain  said  to  him,  Welcome  to  thee !  Bring  thy 
companion  every  night,  and  sup  ye  with  me,  and  suffer  not  anxiety  as  long 
as  ye  voyage  with  us. 

He  then  returned  to  the  dyer,  and  saw  that  he  had  not  ceased  to  sleep : 
so  he  woke  him ;  and  when  Aboukir  awoke,  he  saw  at  his  head  an  abund- 
ance of  bread,  and  cheese,  and  olives,  and  caviar;  and  he  said  to  Abousir, 
Whence  gottest  thou  this  ?  Abousir  answered,  From  the  bounty  of  God, 
whose  name  be  exalted  !  And  Aboukir  desired  to  eat ;  but  Abousir  said  to 
him,  Eat  not,  O  my  brother,  of  this.  Leave  it  to  be  of  use  to  us  at  another 
time.  And  know  that  I  have  shaved  the  captain,  and  I  complained  to  him 
of  the  littleness  of  our  stock  of  provisions  ;  whereupon  he  said  to  me,  Wel- 
come to  thee  !  Bring  thy  companion  eveiy  night,  and  sup  ye  with  me. 
And  the  first  time  of  our  supping  with  the  captain  is  to  be  this  night. 
Aboukir,  however,  replied,  I  am  sea-sick,  and  can  not  rise  from  my  place ; 
therefore  let  me  make  my  supper  of  these  things,  and  go  thou  alone  to  the 
captain.  So  Abousir  said  to  him,  There  will  be  no  harm  in  that.  And  he 
sat  diverting  himself  with  looking  at  him  while  he  ate,  and  saw  him  cut  off 
the  mouthful  as  the  quarryman  cutteth  stone  from  the  mountain,  and  swal- 
low it  as  the  elephant  that  for  days  hath  not  eaten,  bolting  one  mouthful 
before  he  had  quite  swallowed  the  preceding  one,  and  staring  at  what  was 
before  him  with  the  stare  of  the  Ghoul,  and  blowing  as  bloweth  the  hungry 
bull  over  the  straw  and  the  beans.  And  lo,  a  sailor  came  and  said,  O  crafts- 
master,  the  captain  saith  to  thee,  Bring  thy  companion,  and  come  to  sup- 
per. So  Abousir  said  to  Aboukir,  Wilt  thou  arise  and  go  with  us  ?  But 
he  answered  him,  I  am  not  able  to  walk.  The  barber  therefore  went 
alone,  and  he  saw  the  captain  sitting  with  a  table  before  him  comprising 
twenty  different  kinds  of  food,  or  more;  and  he  and  his  party  were  wait 
ing  for  the  barber  and  his  companion  ;  so  when  the  captain  saw  him,  he 
said  to  him,  Where  is  thy  companion  ?  He  answered  him,  O  my  master, 
he  is  sea-sick.  And  the  captain  replied,  No  harm  will  befall  him.  His 
sickness  will  leave  him.  Come  thou  ;  sup  with  us  ;  for  I  was  waiting  for 
thee.  Then  the  captain  set  apart  a  dish  of  roast  meat,  and  put  into  it  some 
of  every  kind  of  food,  and  it  became  enough  for  ten ;  and  after  the  barber 
had  supped,  the  captain  said  to  him.  Take  this  dish  with  thee  to  thy  com- 
panion. Accordingly,  Abousir  took  it,  and  went  with  it  to  Aboukir,  whom 
he  saw  grinding  his  food  with  his  dog-teeth  like  the  camel,  and  adding 
mouthful  to  mouthful  in  haste.  So  Abousir  said  to  him,  Did  I  not  say  to 
thee,  Eat  not ;  for  the  captain  hath  abundance  of  good  things  ?  See,  then, 
what  ho  hath  sent  thee,  when  I  informed  him  that  thou  wast  sick.  Aboukir 
replied,  Give  it  me.  And  Abousir  handed  to  him  the  dish ;  and  he  took  it 
from  him,  greedy  for  it  and  for  other  food,  like  the  grinning  dog,  or  the 
bone-breaking  lion,  or  the  roc  when  it  pounceth  upon  the  pigeon,  or  like 
him  who  hath  almost  died  of  hunger ;  and  Aboukir,  seeing  some  viands, 
proceeded  to  eat.  Abousir  then  left  him,  and  went  back  to  the  captain, 
and  drank  coffee  with  him;  after  which  he  returned  to  Aboukir,  and  he  saw 
that,  he  had  eaten  all  that  was  in  the  dish  and  thrown  it  aside  empty.  So  he 
u*  465 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

took  it  and  conveyed  it  to  one  of  the  servants  of  the  captain,  and  went  back  to 
Aboukir,  and  slept  until  the  morning.  And  on  the  following  day  Abousir  pro- 
ceeded again  to  shave  ;  and  whenever  any  thing  came  to  him,  he  gave  it  to 
Aboukir,  who  ate  and  drank  sitting  still,  not  rising  save  when  he  was  obliged 
to  do  so  ;  and  every  night  Abousir  brought  him  a  full  dish  from  the  captain. 
They  continued  in  this  state  twenty  days,  until  the  galleon  moored  in  the 
harbor  of  a  citv  ;  whereupon  they  both  landed  from  the  galleon,  and  en- 


iTil  WiitTiinjnj 


The  galleon  moor 


tered  the  city,  and  took  for  them  a  chamber  in  a  khan.  Abousir  furnished 
it,  and  bought  all  that  they  required,  and  brought  some  meat  and  cooked  it, 
while  Aboukir  slept  from  the  time  that  he  entered  the  chamber.  He 
awoke  not  until  Abousir  roused  him  and  put  the  table  before  him  ;  and 
when  he  awoke,  he  ate ;  and  after  that  he  said  to  Abousir,  Blame  me 
not;  for  I  am  giddy.  Then  he  slept  again.  And  they  remained  in  this 
state  forty  days.  Every  day  the  barber  took  his  apparatus  and  went  about 
the  city,  practiced  his  art  for  such  remuneration  as  destiny  allotted  him, 
and,  returning,  found  Aboukir  sleeping.  So  he  would  wake  him  ;  and 
when  he  awoke,  he  would  betake  himself  to  eating  with  voracity,  eating 
as  he  who  is  not  satiated  nor  contented  ;  after  which  he  would  sleep  again. 
466 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

He  ceased  not  to  do  thus  for  forty  days  more  ;  and  every  time  that  Abousir 
said  to  him,  Sit  and  rest  thyself,  and  go  forth  and  take  an  airing  in  the  city, 
for  it  is  a  diverting  and  gay  place,  and  there  is  no  equal  to  it  among  the 
cities;  Aboukir  the  Dyer  would  reply,  Blame  ine  not;  for  I  am  giddy. 
And  Abousir  the  Barber  did  not  like  to  trouble  his  heart,  nor  to  make  him  hear 
a  word  that  would  vex  him.  But  on  the  forty-first  day  the  barber  fell  sick, 
and  was  unable  to  go  abroad  ;  and  he  engaged  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan 
to  serve  him  gratuitously.  He  performed  for  them  their  affairs,  bringing 
them  their  food  and  drink ;  and  all  the  while  Aboukir  ate  and  slept.  The  bar- 
ber ceased  not  to  employ  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan  to  perform  gratui- 
tously his  affairs  for  the  space  of  four  days ;  and  after  that  the  disease  of 
Abousir  became  so  violent  that  he  was  unconscious  by  reason  of  its  severity. 
But  as  to  Aboukir,  hunger  tortured  him.  So  he  arose  and  searched  the 
clothes  of  Abousir,  and  saw  in  his  possession  a  sum  of  money  ;  and  he  took 
it,  and  closed  the  door  of  the  chamber  upon  Abousir,  and  departed  with- 
out informing  any  one;  and  the  door-keeper  was  in  the  market;  where- 
fore he  saw  him  not  when  he  went  forth.  Aboukir  then  betook  himself  to 
the  market,  and  clad  himself  in  costly  clothes,  and  proceeded  to  go  about 
the  city,  and  to  divert  himself.  He  saw  it  to  be  a  city  of  which  he  had  not 
found  the  like  among  cities;  but  all  the  apparel  of  its  inhabitants  was  white 
and  blue,  without  any  other  color.  And  he  came  to  a  dyer,  and  saw  all 
that  was  in  his  shop  to  be  blue ;  and.  producing  to  him  a  handkerchief,  he 
said  to  him,  O  master,  take  this  handkerchief,  and  dye  it,  and  receive  thy 
pay.  The  dyer  replied,  The  pay  for  dyeing  this  will  be  twenty  pieces  of 
silver.  So  Aboukir  said  to  him,  We  should  dye  this  in  our  country  for 
two  pieces  of  silver.  The  man  rejoined,  Go,  dye  it  in  your  country;  but 
as  to  me,  I  will  not  dye  it  save  for  twenty  pieces  of  silver  :  the  pay  will  not 
fall  short  of  this  sum  in  the  least.  Upon  this  Aboukir  said  to  him,  What 
color  dost  thou  desire  to  dye  it  ?  The  dyer  answered  him,  I  will  dye  it 
blue.  Aboukir  said  to  him,  I  desire  that  thou  shouldst  dye  it  for  me  red. 
The  man,  however,  replied.  I  know  not  how  to  dye  red.  Aboukir  said, 
Green.  The  dyer  replied,  I  know  not  how  to  dye  green.  Aboukir  said, 
Yellow.  The  dyer  replied,  I  know  not  how  to  dye  yellow.  And  Aboukir 
proceeded  to  enumerate  to  him  the  colors,  one  after  another;  but  the  dyer 
replied,  We  in  our  country  are  forty  masters,  not  one  more  nor  one  less  ; 
and  when  one  of  us  dieth,  we  teach  his  son  ;  and  if  he  leave  not  a  son,  we 
are  deficient  by  one.  When  one  Ieaveth  two  sons,  we  teach  one  of  them ; 
and  if  he  die,  we  teach  his  brother.  This  our  trade  is  strictly  regulated; 
and  we  know  not  how  to  dye  any  color  excepting  blue  alone.  So  Aboukir 
the  Dyer  said  to  him,  Know  that  I  am  a  dyer,  and  I  know  how  to  dye  all 
colors.  I  desire  that  thou  wbuldst  take  me  into  thy  service  for  pay,  and  I 
will  teach  thee  the  art  of  dyeing  all  colors,  that  thou  mayest  glory  therein 
over  all  the  company  of  dyers.  But  he  replied,  We  allow  not  a  stranger 
to  cuter  our  trade  ever.  Aboukir  said  to  him,  And  if  I  open  for  myself 
alone  a  dyeing  shop  ?  The  man  answered  him,  Thou  canst  not  do  that 
ever.  And  thereupon  Aboukir  left  him  and  went  to  the  second,  and  ho 
said  to  him  as  the  first  had  said  ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  go  from  dyer  to  dyer 
until  he  had  gone  round  to  the  forty  masters;  but  they  would  not  admit 
him  either  as  a  hired  servant  or  as  a  master.  He  went  also  to  the  sheikh 
of  the  dyers  and  informed  him  ;  but  he  replied,  We  do  not  allow  a  stranger 
to  enter  our  trade. 

467 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

So  upon  this  exceeding  rage  affected  Aboukir,  and  he  went  up  to 
complain  to  the  king  of  that  city,  and  said  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  I 
am  a  stranger,  and  my  trade  is  that  of  dyeing,  and  there  have  happen- 
ed to  me,  with  the  dyers,  such  and  such  events.  I  dye  red  of  various 
hues,  as  rose  color  and  jujube  color ;  and  green  of  various  hues,  as 
plant  green,  and  pistachio  green,  and  oil  green,  and  parrot's  wing ;  and 
black  of  various  hues,  as  coal  black  and  kohl  black ;  and  yellow  of  various 
hues,  as  orange  color  and  lemon  color  ;  and  he  proceeded  to  mention  to 
him  all  the  colors.  Then  he  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  all  the  dyers  who  are 
in  thy  city  are  unable  to  dye  any  of  these  colors,  and  they  know  not  how 
to  dye  any  color  but  blue  ;  yet  they  will  not  admit  me  among  them  as  a 
master,  nor  as  a  hired  workman.  And  the  king  replied,  Thou  hast  spoken 
truth  as  to  that  matter ;  but  I  will  open  for  thee  a  dyeing  shop,  and  give 
thee  a  capital,  and  care  not  thou  for  them ;  for  whosoever  opposeth  thee, 
I  will  hang  him  over  the  door  of  his  shop.  He  then  commanded  the  build- 
ers, and  said  to  them,  Repair  ye  with  this  master ;  go  about  the  city  with 
him,  and  whatsoever  place  pleaseth  him,  turn  out  its  owner,  whether  it 
be  occupied  by  a  shop,  or  a  khan,  or  other  building,  and  build  for  him  a 
dyeing  shop  agreeable  with  his  desire.  Whatever  he  commandeth  you 
to  do,  do  it,  and  oppose  him  not  with  respect  to  that  which  he  shall  say. 
Then  the  king  clad  him  in  a  handsome  suit  of  apparel,  gave  him  a  thou- 
sand pieces  of  gold,  and  said  to  him,  Expend  them  upon  thyself  until  the 
building  shall  be  completed.  He  also  gave  him  two  mamlouks  to  serve 
him,  and  a  horse  with  embroidered  saddle  and  trappings;  and  Aboukir  put 
on  the  dress,  and  mounted  the  horse,  and  became  as  though  he  were  an 
emir.  The  king,  moreover,  appropriated  to  him  exclusively  a  house,  and 
gave  orders  to  furnish  it ;  so  they  furnished  it  for  him,  and  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  it. 

Then,  on  the  following  day,  he  mounted,  and  went  about  through  the 
city,  with  the  architects  before  him,  and  he  ceased  not  to  survey  until  a 
place  pleased  him  ;  whereupon  he  said,  This  place  is  good.  They  there- 
fore ejected  its  owner  from  it,  and  brought  him  to  the  king,  who  gave  him, 
as  the  price  of  his  place,  more  than  would  have  contented  him,  and  the 
building  proceeded  there,  Aboukir  saying  to  the  builders,  Build  thus  and 
thus,  and  do  thus  and  thus,  until  they  had  built  for  him  a  dyeing  shop  of 
which  the  equal  existed  not.  He  then  presented  himself  to  the  king,  and 
informed  him  that  the  building  of  the  dyeing  shop  was  completed,  and  that 
only  the  price  of  the  materials  for  dyeing  was  requisite  in  order  to  com 
mence  work ;  upon  which  the  king  said  to  him,  Take  these  four  thousand 
pieces  of  gold,  and  make  them  thy  capital,  and  show  me  the  product  of  thy 
dyeing  shop.  So  he  took  them  and  repaired  to  the  market,  and  he  saw 
the  indigo  to  be  abundant,  and  [comparatively]  of  no  price.  He  bought  all 
the  materials  for  dyeing  that  he  required  ;  after  which  the  king  sent  to  him 
five  hundred  pieces  of  stuff,  and  he  proceeded  to  dye  them,  and,  having 
dyed  them  of  all  colors,  spread  them  [on  ropes]  before  the  door  of  the 
dyeing  shop.  Therefore,  when  the  people  passed  by  the  shop,  they  saw 
a  wonderful  sight,  the  like  of  which  they  had  not  seen  in  their  lives ;  and 
crowds  collected  at  the  door  of  the  dyeing  shop,  diveiting  themselves,  and 
asking  him  and  saying  to  him,  O  master,  what  are  the  names  of  these 
colors?  So  he  answered  them,  This  is  red,  and  this  is  yellow,  and  this  is 
greeD,  mentioning  to  them  the  names  of  all  the  colors;  and  they  proceeded 
468 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 


to  bring  to  him  pieces  of  stuff,  and  to  say  to  him,  Dye  for  us  like  this 
and  this,  and  receive  what  thou  shalt  demand.  And  when  he  had  finished 
the  dyeing  of  the  stuffs  of  the  king,  he  took  them  and  went  up  with  them 
to  the  court,  and  on  the  king's  seeing  those  dyed  stuffs,  he  was  delighted 
with  them,  and  conferred  upon  him  exceeding  favors.  All  the  troops,  also, 
brought  to  him  stuffs,  saying  to  him,  Dye  for  us  thus.  And  he  dyed  for 
them  according  to  their  desires,  and  they  threw  to  him  gold  and  silver. 
Then  his  fame  spread  abroad,  and  his  dyeing  shop  was  named  the  dyeing 
shop  of  the  sultan.  Prosperity  came  in  upon  him  by  every  way;  and  of 
all  the  dyers  not  one  could  speak  to  him  ;  save  only  that  they  used  to  come 
to  him  and  kiss  his  hands,  and  apologize  to  him  for  their  past  injurious 
conduct  to  him,  offering  themselves  to  him,  and  saying  to  him,  Make  us 
servants  to  thee.  But  he  would  not  accept  one  of 
them.  He  had  male  black  slaves  and  female  slaves, 
and  he  collected  abundant  wealth. 

Now  as  to  Abousir,  when  Aboukir  had  closed 
the  door  of  the  chamber  upon  him,  after  he  had 
taken  his  money,  and  gone  and  left  him  sick,  in  a 
state  of  unconsciousness,  he  lay  in  that  chamber, 
with  the  door  closed  upon  him,  and  remained  so 
three  days.      The  door-keeper  of  the  khan  then 
observed   the    door   of  the   chamber,   and   saw   it 
closed,  and  he  saw  not  either  of  these  two  persons 
until  sunset,  nor  knew  he  any  tidings  of  them.     So 
he  said  within  himself,  Perhaps  they  have  traveled 
away  without  paying  the  rent  of  the  chamber,  or 
died  ;  or  what  can  be  their  case  ?     And  he  came 
to   the  door  of  the   chamber  and  saw   it  closed, 
and  he  heard  the  groaning  of  the  barber  within  it, 
and  saw  the  key  in  the  wooden  lock.     He  therefore 
opened  the  door  and  entered,  and  saw  the  barber 
groaning;  so  he  said   to  him,   No  harm  shall  be- 
fall thee.    Wliere  is  thy  companion  ?     And  the  bar- 
ber replied.  By  Allah,  I  have  not  recovered  from 
the  stupefying  effects  of  my  disease  save  on  this 
day ;  and  I  called  out ;  but  no 
one  returned   me  a  reply.     I 
conjure  thee,  by  Allah,  O  my 
brother,  that  thou  look  for  the 
purse    beneath    my    head,    and 
take  from  it  live  farthings,  and 
buy   for  me  with   them  some- 
thing wherewith  I  may  sustain 
myself;   for  I  am  in  a  state  of 
extreme  hunger.     Accordingly, 
the  door-keeper  stretched  forth 
his  hand,  and  took  the   purse, 
and  he  saw  it  empty;  where- 
fore he  said  to  the  barber,  Veri- 
ly the  purse  is  empty  :  there  is 
not  in  it  aught.     So  Abousir  the 
4fi9 


Shop  of  tli  e  dyer. 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 


The  barber  sick. 


Barber  knew  that  Aboukir  had  taken  what  was  in  it,  and  fled ;  and 
he  said  to  the  door-keeper,  Hast  thou  not  seen  my  companion  ?  He 
answered  him,  For  the  space  of  three  days  I  have  not  seen  him,  and  I 
imagined  not  any  thing  but  that  thou  hadst  traveled  away  with  him.  And 
the  barber  replied,  We  traveled  not ;  but  he  coveted  my  money,  and  he 
took  it  and  fled,  when  he  saw  me  sick.  Then-he  wept  and  wailed.  But 
the  door-keeper  of  the  khan  said  to  him,  No  harm  shall  befall  thee ;  and  he 
will  receive  the  recompense  of  his  conduct  from  God.  The  door-keeper 
then  went  and  cooked  for  him  some  broth,  and,  having  ladled  out  for  him  a 
dishful,  gave  it  to  him  ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  attend  to  him  for  the  space 
of  two  months,  maintaining  him  from  his  own  purse,  until  he  perspired 
profusely,  and  God  cured  him  of  the  disease  that  he  had  been  suffering. 
After  this  he  rose  upon  his  feet,  and  said  to  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan, 
If  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  enable  me,  I  will  recompense  thee  for 
thy  good  actions  to  me  ;  but  none,  save  God  in  his  bounty,  will  recompense. 
The  door-keeper,  however,  replied,  Praise  be  to  God  for  thy  health !  I 
did  not  unto  thee  that  service  save  from  a  desire  of  seeing  the  face  of  God, 
the  Bountiful. 

The  barber  then  went  forth  from  the  khan  and  passed  through  the 
markets,  and  destiny  brought  him  to  the  market  in  which  was  the  dyeing 
shop  of  Aboukir.  There  he  saw  the  stuffs  dyed  of  various  colors,  spread 
[upon  ropes]  at  the  entrance  of  the  dyeing  shop,  and  the  people  crowding 
together,  diverting  themselves  with  the  sight  of  them.  So  he  asked  a  man 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  said  to  him,  What  is  this  place,  and 
wherefore  do  I  see  the  people  crowding  together  ?  And  the  person  whom 
he  asked  aswered  him,  This  is  the  sultan's  dyeing  shop,  which  he  founded 
for  a  stranger  named  Aboukir;  and  whenever  he  hath  dyed  a  piece  of  stuff", 
we  assemble  around  it,  and  divert  ourselves  with  the  sight  of  his  dyeing; 
for  there  are  not  in  our  country  dyers  who  know  how  to  dye  these  colors ; 
and  such  and  such  events  happened  to  him  with  the  dyers  who  are  in  the 
city.  He  told  him  what  had  occurred  between  Aboukir  and  the  dyers,  and 
that  he  had  complained  of  them  to  the  sultan,  who  thereupon  had  aided  him, 
and  built  for  him  this  dyeing  shop,  and  given  him  such  and  such  things; 
and  he  acquainted  him  with  all  that  had  happened. 
470 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

Upon  this  Abousir  rejoiced,  and  said  to  himself,  Praise  be  to  God  who 
hath  aided  him  so  that  he  hath  become  a  master  tradesman  !  And  the  man 
is  excusable.  Probably  he  hath  been  diverted  from  thinking  of  thee  by  his 
work,  and  forgotten  thee  ;  but  thou  actedst  kindly  to  him,  and  treatedst  him 
with  generosity  when  he  was  unoccupied  ;  and  when  he  seeth  thee,  he 
will  rejoice  in  thee,  and  treat  thee  with  generosity,  like  as  thou  hast  treat- 
ed him.  He  then  advanced  toward  the  door  of  the  dyeing  shop,  and  saw 
Aboukir  sitting  upon  a  high  mattress  upon  a  marble  seat  at  the  door  of  the 
dyeing  shop,  with  a  suit  of  the  apparel  of  kings  upon  him,  and  before  him 
four  black  slaves  and  four  white  mamlouks  wearing  the  most  sumptuous 
apparel.  He  also  saw  the  workmen,  ten  black  slaves,  standing  at  work  ; 
for,  when  Aboukir  bought  them,  he  taught  them  the  art  of  dyeing;  and  he 
was  sitting  between  the  cushions,  as  though  he  were  a  grand  vizier,  or  a 
most  magnificent  king,  not  doing  aught  with  his  own  hand,  but  only  saying 
to  them,  Do  so  and  so.  Abousir  stood  before  him,  imagining  that,  when 
he  should  see  him,  he  would  rejoice  in  him,  and  salute  him,  and  treat  him 
with  generosity,  and  behave  courteously  to  him.  But  when  eye  met  eye, 
Aboukir  said  to  him,  O  scoundrel,  how  many  times  have  1  said  to  thee, 
Stand  not  at  the  door  of  this  workshop  ?  Dost  thou  desire  to  disgrace  me 
with  the  people,  O  thief?  And  he  said,  Seize  ye  him!  So  the  slaves 
ran  after  him,  and  seized  him,  and  Aboukir,  rising  with  energy,  took  a 
staff,  and  said,  Throw  him  down  !  Accordingly,  they  threw  him  down  ; 
and  he  gave  him  a  hundred  blows  on  his  back ;  after  which  they  turned 
him  round,  and  he  gave  him  a  hundred  blows  on  his  stomach,  and  said  to 
him,  O  villain  !  O  deceiver !  if  I  see  thee  after  this  day  standing  at  the 
door  of  this  dyeing  shop,  I  will  send  thee  to  the  king  immediately,  and  he 
will  deliver  thee  to  the  judge,  that  he  may  strike  off  thy  head!  Walk 
away  !  May  God  not  bless  thee !  So  he  departed  from  him  with  broken 
heart  by  reason  of  the  beating  and  the  contemptuous  treatment  that  had 
befallen  him  ;  and  the  persons  present  said  to  Aboukir  the  Dyer,  What 
hath  this  man  done  ?  Whereupon  he  answered  them,  He  is  a  thief,  who 
stealeth  the  stuffs  of  the  people  ;  for  he  hath  often  stolen  stuffs  from  me, 
and  I  said  within  myself,  May  God  pardon  him  !  for  he  is  a  poor  man. 
And  I  would  not  trouble  him  ;  but  would  give  the  people  the  prices  of  their 
stuffs,  and  forbid  him  gently;  yet  he  woidd  not  abstain.  So  if  he  return 
again  after  this  time,  I  will  send  him  to  the  king,  and  he  will  slay  him,  and 
relieve  the  people  from  his  mischief.  The  people  therefore  reviled  him 
after  his  departure. 

Abousir  returned  to  the  khan,  and  sat  reflecting  upon  that  which  Aboukir 
had  done  to  him  ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  sit  until  the  pain  of  the  beating 
became  alleviated,  when  he  went  forth  and  passed  through  the  markets  of 
the  city,  and  it  occurred  to  his  mind  that  he  should  enter  the  bath.  So  he 
asked  a  man  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  brother, 
which  is  the  way  to  the  bath?  But  the  man  said  to  him.  And  what  is  the 
bath  ?  He  replied,  A  place  in  which  people  wash  themselves,  to  remove 
the  impurities  tliat  are  upon  them,  and  it  is  of  the  best  of  the  good  things 
of  the  world.  Upon  this  the  man  said  to  him,  Betake  thyself  to  the  sea. 
He  replied,  I  desire  the  bath.  But  the  man  said  to  him,  We  know  not 
what  kind  of  thing  the  bath  is;  we  all  of  us  go  to  the  sea:  even  the  king, 
when  he  desireth  to  wash  himself,  goeth  to  the  sea.  So  when  Abousir 
knew  that  there  wns  not  a  bath  in  the  city,  and  that  its  inhabitants  knt'W 

471 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

not  the  bath,  nor  what  kind  of  thing  it  was,  he  repaired  to  the  council  of 
the  king,  and  went  in  to  him,  and,  having  kissed  the  ground  before  him 
and  prayed  for  him,  said  to  him,  1  am  a  man  of  a  strange  country,  and  my 
trade  is  that  of  a  bath-keeper,  and  I  entered  thy  city,  and  desired  to  re- 
pair to  the  bath,  but  saw  not  in  it.  even  one  bath ;  and  how  is  it  that  the 
city  which  is  of  this  beautiful  description  is  without  a  bath,  which  is  one 
of  the  best  of  the  delights  of  the  world  ?  So  the  king  said  to  him,  What  is 
the  bath  ?  He  proceeded,  therefore,  to  describe  it  to  him,  and  said  to  him, 
Thy  city  will  not  be  a  perfect  city  unless  there  be  in  it  a  bath.  And  upon 
this  the  king  said  to  him,  Welcome  to  thee  !  And  he  clad  him  in  a  suit  of 
apparel  of  which  the  like  existed  not,  gave  him  a  horse  and  two  black 
slaves,  and  bestowed  upon  him  four  female  slaves  and  two  mamlouks.  He 
also  prepared  for  him  a  furnished  house,  and  treated  him  with  more  honor 
than  the  dyer ;  and  he  sent  with  him  the  builders,  saying  to  them,  In  the 
place  that  shall  please  him,  build  ye  for  him  a  bath. 

So  he  took  them  and  went  with  them  through  the  midst  of  the  city  until 
a  place  pleased  him,  when  he  pointed  it  out  to  them,  and  they  commenced 
the  building  there.  He  proceeded  to  direct  them  as  to  the  manner  of  its 
construction  until  they  had  built  for  him  a  bath  of  which  there  existed  not 
the  like  ;  whereupon  he  ordered  them  to  paint  it ;  and  they  painted  it  in  an 
ad  mil-able  manner,  so  that  it  became  a  delight  to  the  beholders.  He  then 
went  up  to  the  king,  and  acquainted  him  with  the  completion  of  the  build- 
ing of  the  bath,  and  its  painting,  and  said  to  him,  There  is  nothing  wanting 
but  the  furniture.  The  king,  therefore,  gave  him  ten  thousand  pieces  of 
gold  ;  and  he  took  them  and  furnished  the  bath,  and  arranged  in  it  the  nap- 
kins upon  the  ropes  ;  and  every  one  who  passed  by  the  door  of  the  bath 
gazed  at  it  in  astonishment,  and  his  mind  was  confounded  at  the  sight  of  its 
painting.  The  people  crowded  about  that  thing,  of  which  they  had  not 
seen  tha.  like  in  their  lives,  and  they  proceeded  to  divert  themselves  with 
the  sight  of  it,  saying,  What  is  this  ?  And  Abousir  answered  them,  This  is 
a  bath.  And  they  wondered  at  it.  Then  he  heated  the  water,  and  set 
the  bath  in  action.  He  made  also  a  fountain  in  the  basin,  such  as  capti- 
vated the.  reason  of  every  one  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  who  beheld  it. 
And  he  demanded  of  the  king  ten  mamlouks  under  the  age  of  manhood  ; 
whereupon  the  king  gave  him  ten  mamlouks  like  moons;  and  Abousir  be- 
took himself  to  rubbing  them  with  the  bag,  and  said  to  them,  Do  with  the 
bathers  thus.  He  then  gave  vent  to  the  fumes  of  the  incense,  and  sent  a 
crier  to  ciy  in  the  city,  and  to  say,  O  creatures  of  God,  repair  to  the  bath, 
which  is  named  the  Bath  of  the  Sultan  !  So  the  people  came  thither,  and 
he  ordered  the  mamlouks  to  wash  the  bathers.  The  people  descended 
into  the  tank,  and  came  up  ;  and  after  they  had  come  up,  they  sat  upon 
the  raised  floor,  while  the  mamlouks  rubbed  them  as  Abousir  had  taught 
them ;  and  the  people  continued  to  enter  the  bath,  and  to  gratify  their  de- 
sire thereby,  and  go  forth,  without  paying,  for  the  space  of  three  days. 

After  that,  on  the  fourth  day,  Abousir  invited  the  king  to  the  bath.  So 
he  mounted  with  the  great  men  of  his  empire,  and  they  went  thither.  He 
pulled  oft*  his  clothes  and  entered  [the  inner  apartment],  and  Abousir  en- 
tered and  rubbed  the  king  with  the  bag,  removing  from  his  person  the  im- 
pure particles  like  twists  of  thread,  and  showing  them  to  him  ;  whereat 
the  king  rejoiced.  The  putting  his  hand  upon  his  body  made  a  sound,  by 
reason  of  its  smoothness  and  cleanness.  And  after  Abousir  had  washed  his 
473 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUIvtR. 


The  bath. 


skin,  he  mixed  for  him  some  rose-water  with  the  water  of  the  tank,  and 
the  king  descended  into  the  tank  and  came  forth,  and  his  skin  was  soften- 
ed, and  he  experienced  a  liveliness  which  in  his  life  he  had  never  known 
before.  Then,  after  that,  Abousir  seated  him  upon  the  raised  floor,  and 
the  mamlouks  proceeded  to  perform  upon  him  the  operation  of  gently  rub- 
bing and  pressing  him,  while  the  perfuming  vessels  diffused  the  odor  of 
aloes-wood.  And  the  king  said,  O  master,  is  this  the  bath  ?  Abousir  an- 
swere'd,  Yes.  And  the  king  said  to  him,  By  my  head,  my  city  hath  not 
become  a  city  save  by  this  bath.  He  then  said  to  him,  what  wilt  thou 
take  as  pay  for  each  person  ?  Abousir  answered,  What  thou  shalt  com- 
mand me  I  will  take.  And  he  ordered  him  to  take  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold, 
saying  to  him,  From  every  one  who  washeth  in  thy  bath  take  a  thousand 
pieces  of  gold.  But  Abousir  replied.  Pardon,  O  king  of  the  age  !  Verily 
all  men  are  not  alike  ;  for  among  them  is  the  rich,  and  among  them  is  the 
poor ;  and  if  1  took  from  every  one  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  the  bath 
would  become  void,  since  the  poor  man  can  not  pay  the  thousand  pieces 
of  gold.  So  the  king  said.  And  how,  then,  wilt  thou  act  with  respect  to 
the  pay  ?      Abousir  answered,  I  will  regulate  the  pay  generously  ;    and 

473 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

every  one  who  can  afford  a  thing,  his  soul  consenting  to  it,  shall  give  that 
thing.  Thus  we  shall  take  from  every  man  according  to  his  condition  ;  for 
if  the  case  be  so,  the  people  will  come  to  us ;  and  he  who  is  rich  will  give 
according  to  his  rank,  while  he  who  is  poor  will  give  that  to  which  his  soul 
consenteth.  If  the  case  be  thus,  the  bath  will  be  in  action,  and  it  will  be  in 
excellent  condition ;  but  as  to  the  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  it  is  the  gift  of 
the  king,  and  every  one  can  not  afford  it.  And  the  great  men  of  the  em- 
pire pronounced  his  words  to  be  true,  and  said,  This  will  be  the  right  course, 
O  king  of  the  age.  Dost  thou  imagine  that  the  people  are  all  like  thee,  O 
glorious  king  ?  The  king  replied,  Verily  your  sajing  is  true  ;  but  this  is  a 
stranger,  a  poor  man,  and  to  treat  him  with  generosity  is  incumbent  on  us ; 
for  he  hath  made  in  our  city  this  bath,  the  like  of  which  we  have  never  in 
our  lives  seen,  and  our  city  hath  not  been  adorned  and  acquired  importance 
without  it;  so  if  we  show  him  generosity  by  giving  him  excessive  pay,  it 
will  not  be  much.  But  they  said,  If  thou  treat  him  with  generosity,  do  so 
by  bestowing  upon  him  of  thine  own  wealth,  and  let  the  king's  generosity 
be  shown  to  the  poor  by  the  smallness  of  the  pay  for  bathing,  in  order  that 
thy  subjects  may  pray  for  thee ;  but  as  to  the  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  we 
are  the  great  men  of  thine  empire,  and  yet  our  souls  consent  not  to  give  it; 
how,  then,  can  the  souls  of  the  poor  consent  thereto?  The  king  therefore 
said,  O  great  men  of  my  empire,  every  one  of  you  shall  give  him  this  time 
a  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and  a  mamlouk,  and  a  female  slave,  and  a  male 
black  slave.  And  they  replied,  Yes,  we  will  give  him  those  things ;  but 
after  this  day  every  one  who  entereth  shall  only  give  him  what  his  soul 
shall  consent  to.     And  he  said,  There  will  be  no  harm  in  that. 

Accordingly,  each  of  the  great  men  gave  him  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold, 
and  a  female  slave,  and  a  mamlouk,  and  a  male  black  slave ;  and  the  num- 
ber of  the  great  men  who  bathed  with  the  king  on  this  day  was  four  hund- 
red souls.  So  the  number  of  the  pieces  of  gold  that  they  gave  him  was 
forty  thousand ;  and  of  the  mamlouks,  four  hundred  ;  and  of  the  male  black 
slaves,  four  hundred  ;  and  of  the  female  slaves,  four  hundred  ;  and  enough 
was  this  gift!  The  king  also  gave  him  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  ten 
mamlouks,  and  ten  female  slaves,  and  ten  male  black  slaves.  Abousir  there- 
fore advanced  and  kissed  the  ground  before  the  king,  and  said  to  him,  O 
fortunate  king,  endowed  with  right  judgment,  what  place  will  contain  me 
with  these  mamlouks,  and  female  slaves,  and  male  black  slaves?  The  king 
replied,  I  ordered  not  my  grandees  to  do  this  save  in  order  that  we  might 
collect  for  thee  a  great  quantity  of  wealth;  for  perhaps  thou  hast  reflected 
upon  thy  country  and  thy  household,  and  longed  to  see  them,  and  desired 
to  voyage  to  thy  home,  and  thou  wilt  have  taken  from  our  country  a  large 
quantity  of  wealth,  to  which  thou  mayest  have  recourse  for  thy  subsistence 
as  long  as  thou  shalt  live  in  thy  country.  But  Abousir  rejoined,  O  king  of 
the  age  (may  God  strengthen  thee !),  verily  these  numerous  mamlouks, 
and  female  slaves,  and  male  biack  slaves  are  proper  only  for  kings;  and 
hadst  thou  given  orders  to  present  me  with  ready  money,  it  had  been  bet- 
ter for  me  than  this  army  ;  for  they  will  eat,  and  drink,  and  dress,  and 
whatever  wealth  I  acquire,  it  will  not  suffice  them  to  expend  for  their  sup- 
port. And  upon  this  the  king  laughed,  and  said,  By  Allah,  thou  hast  spoken 
truth;  for  they  have  become  a  heavy  army,  and  thou  hast  not  ability  to 
expend  what  will  be  sufficient  upon  them.  But  wilt  thou  sell  them  to  me, 
each  one  for  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  ?  He  answered,  I  sell  them  to  thee 
474 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

for  this  price.  So  the  king  sent  to  the  treasurer,  desiring  him  to  bring  him 
the  money  ;  and  he  brought  it,  and  the  king  gave  Abousir  the  price  of  the 
whole,  complete  and  entire  ;  after  which  he  bestowed  them  upon  their 
former  owners,  saying,  Every  one  who  knoweth  his  male  black  slave,  or 
his  female  slave,  or  his  mamlouk,  let  him  take  such  slave;  for  they  are  a 
gift  from  me  unto  you.  And  they  complied  with  the  command  of  the  king, 
each  of  them  taking  what  appertained  to  him.  Abousir  then  said  to  the 
king,  May  God  relieve  thee,  O  king  of  the  age,  as  thou  hast  relieved  me 
from  these  Ghouls,  whom  none  but  God  can  satiate !  And  the  king  laughed 
at  his  words,  and  said  that  he  had  spoken  truth  ;  and  he  took  the  great  men 
of  his  empire,  and  returned  from  the  bath  to  his  palace. 

Abousir  passed  the  ensuing  night  counting  the  gold,  and  putting  it  into 
the  bags  and  sealing  them.  And  he  had  with  him  twenty  male  black  slaves, 
and  twenty  mamlouks,  and  four  female  slaves  to  serve  him.  And  when 
the  morning  came,  he  opened  the  bath,  and  sent  a  crier  to  cry  and  say, 
Whosoever  entereth  the  bath  and  washeth,  he  shall  give  that  to  which  his 
soul  shall  consent  and  what  his  generosity  shall  require  him  to  give.  He 
seated  himself  by  the  chest,  and  those  who  desired  to  bathe  rushed  upon 
him,  every  one  who  entered  putting  down  what  was  easy  to  him  to  give ; 
and  the  evening  came  not  before  the  chest  was  filled  with  the  good  gifts 
of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  Then  the  queen  desired  to  enter  the 
bath  :  so  when  this  was  made  known  to  Abousir,  he  divided  the  day  on  her 
account  into  two  portions,  making  from  daybreak  to  noon  the  portion  of  the 
men,  and  from  noon  to  sunset  the  portion  of  the  women.  And  when  the 
queen  came,  he  stationed  a  female  slave  behind  the  chest.  He  had  taught 
four  female  slaves  the  arts  of  washing  women  and  plaiting  their  hair,  so 
that  they  became  skillful  performers  of  these  arts  ;  and  the  queen,  on  her 
entering,  was  pleased  by  what  she  saw,  her  bosom  became  dilated,  and  she 
put  down  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  His  fame  spread  throughout  the  city, 
and  every  one  who  entered  treated  him  with  honor,  whether  he  were  rich 
or  poor,  and  good  fortune  came  in  to  him  by  every  way.  He  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  king's  guards,  and  gained  companions  and  friends,  and 
the  king  used  to  come  to  him  one  day  in  the  week,  when  he  gave  him  a 
thousand  pieces  of  gold  ;  the  other  days  of  the  week  being  for  the  great 
men  and  the  poor  ;  and  he  used  to  behave  kindly  to  the  people,  and  to  treat 
them  with  the  utmost  courtesy.  It  happened,  also,  that  the  king's  sea- 
captain  came  in  to  him  in  the  bath  one  day,  whereupon  Abousir  pulled  off 
his  clothes  and  entered  [the  inner  apartment]  with  him,  and  proceeded 
to  rub  and  press  him,  treating  him  with  exceeding  courtesy.  And  when 
he  came  forth  from  the  bath,  he  made  for  him  sherbet  and  coffee  ;  and  on 
the  captain's  desiring  to  give  him  something,  he  swore  that  he  would  not 
receive  from  him  aught.  So  the  captain  was  grateful  for  his  kindness,  on 
account  of  the  exceeding  courtesy  that  he  had  experienced  from  him,  and 
his  beneficence  to  him,  and  he  became  perplexed  respecting  what  he  should 
give  to  that  bath-keeper  in  return  for  his  generous  conduct  to  him. 

Meanwhile,  Aboukir  heard  all  the  people  eagerly  talking  of  the  bath, 
every  one  of  them  saying,  Verily  this  bath  is  the  delight  of  the  world, 
without  doubt!  If  it  be  the  will  of  God,  O  such  a  one,  thou  shalt  go  with 
us  to-morrow  into  this  delectable  bath.  So  Aboukir  said  within  himself,  I 
must  go,  like  others,  and  see  this  bath  that  hath  captivated  the  minds  of 
men.     Then  he  put  on  the  most  sumptuous  of  the  apparel  that  he  had, 

475 


Damsels  plaiting  the  queen's  hair. 

mounted  a  mule,  took  with  him  four  black  slaves  and  four  mamlouks,  who 
walked  behind  him  and  before  him,  and  repaired  to  the  bath.  He  alighted 
at  the  door  of  the  bath  ;  and  when  he  was  at  the  door,  he  smelled  the  odor 
of  aloes-wood,  and  saw  men  entering  and  men  coming  forth,  and  he  saw 
the  benches  fully  occupied  by  great  and  small.  He  then  entered  the 
vestibule  and  saw  Abousir,  who  rose  to  him  and  rejoiced  at  seeing  him  ; 
and  Aboukir  said  to  him,  Is  this  fulfilling  the  covenant  of  the  sons  of  the 
ingenuous  ?  I  have  opened  for  myself  a  dyeing  shop,  and  become  the 
master  dyer  of  the  city,  and  acquainted  with  the  king,  and  have  become  in 
a  state  of  prosperity  and  authority,  yet  thou  comest  not  to  me,  nor  inquirest 
respecting  me,  nor  sayest,  Where  is  my  companion  ?  I  have  been  unable 
to  find  thee  while  searching  for  thee,  and  sending  my  black  slaves  and  my 
mamlouks  to  search  for  thee  in  the  khans  and  in  all  other  places  ;  for  they 
knew  not  how  to  find  thee,  nor  did  any  one  give  them  tidings  of  thee.  So 
Abousir  replied,  Did  I  not  come  to  thee,  and  didst  thou  not  call  me  a  thief, 
and  beat  me,  and  disgrace  me  among  the  people  ?  And  thereupon  Aboukir 
was  grieved,  and  said,  What  are  these  words  ?  Art  thou  the  person  whom 
I  beat?  Abousir  answered  him,  Yes,  that  person  was  myself.  And 
Aboukir  swore  to  him  a  thousand  oaths  that  he  knew  him  not,  and  said, 
One  resembling  thee  used  to  come  every  day  and  steal  people's  stuffs,  and 
I  imagined  that  thou  wast  that  person.  And  he  proceeded  to  feign  re- 
pentance, and  to  strike  hand  upon  hand,  and  say,  There  is  no  strength  nor 
476 


STOHV  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

power  but  in  God,  the  Great !  We  have  acted  injuriously  to  thee  ;  but 
would  that  thou  hadst  acquainted  me  with  thyself,  and  said,  I  am  such  a 
one.  The  fault,  therefore,  is  thine,  because  thou  didst  not  acquaint  me 
with  thyself;  especially  as  I  was  confounded  by  the  multiplicity  of  my 
occupations.  And  upon  this  Abousir  said  to  him,  May  God  pardon  thee,  O 
my  companion !  This  event  was  secretly  predestined,  and  reparation  is  God's 
affair.  Enter,  pull  off  thy  clothes,  and  bathe  and  enjoy  thyself.  Aboukir 
rejoined,  By  Allah,  I  conjure  thee  that  thou  pardon  me,  O  my  brother! 
And  Abousir  said  to  him,  May  God  acquit  thee  of  responsibility,  and  pardon 
thee  !     For  it  was  an  event  predestined  from  eternity  to  befall  me. 

Aboukir  then  said  to  him,  And  whence  obtainedst  thou  this  authority  ? 
He  answered  him,  He  who  aided  thee  aided  me  ;  for  1  went  up  to  the 
king  and  described  to  him  the  bath,  and  he  ordered  me  to  build  one.  So 
Aboukir  replied,  As  thou  art  an  acquaintance  of  the  king,  I  also  am  his  ac- 
quaintance ;  and  if  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  I  will 
cause  him  to  love  thee,  and  to  treat  thee  with  generosity  exceeding  this 
generosity  for  my  sake ;  for  he  knew  not  that  thou  wast  my  companion  ; 
but  I  will  inform  him  that  thou  art,  my  companion,  and  1  will  give  him  a 
charge  respecting  thee.  Abousir,  however,  said  to  him,  I  require  not  any 
charge  to  be  given  him  ;  for  He  who  moveth  hearts  with  affection  existeth  ; 
and  the  king  hath  conceived  a  love  for  me,  he  and  all  his  court,  and  given 
me  such  and  such  things.  He  told  him  the  story,  and  then  said  to  him, 
Pull  off'  thy  clothes  behind  the  chest,  and  enter  the  bath,  and  I  will  enter 
with  thee,  that  I  may  rub  thee  with  the  bag.  So  he  pulled  oft'  the  clothes 
that  were  upon  him,  and  entered  the  bath,  and  Abousir  entered  with  him, 
and  rubbed  him  with  the  bag,  washed  him  with  soap,  dressed  him,  and 
occupied  himself  with  serving  him  until  he  came  forth  [from  the  inner 
apartment]  ;  and  when  he  came  forth,  he  brought  him  dinner  and  sherbet; 
and  all  the  people  wondered  at  the  great  honor  that  he  showed  him.  After 
that,  Aboukir  was  about  to  give  him  something ;  but  he  swore  that  he 
would  not  receive  from  him  aught,  and  said  to  him,  Be  ashamed  of  this 
thing,  seeing  that  thou  art  my  companion,  and  there  is  no  difference  be- 
tween us.  Then  Aboukir  said  to  Abousir,  O  my  companion,  by  Allah, 
this  bath  is  excellent ;  Dut  thine  art  in  it  is  deficient.  So  Abousir  said  to 
him,  And  what  is  its  deficiency  ?  Aboukir  answered  him,  The  remedy 
that  is  a  composition  of  arsenic  and  lime,  which  removeth  the  hair  with 
facility.  Therefore  make  this  remedy;  and  when  the  king  cometh,  pre- 
sent it  to  him,  and  teach  him  how  the  hair  falleth  off  by  its  means  ;  for 
thereupon  he  will  love  thee  exceedingly,  and  will  treat  thee  with  honor. 
And  Abousir  replied,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth.  If  it  be  the  will  of  God,  1 
will  make  that. 

Then  Aboukir  went  forth,  and  mounted  his  mule,  repaired  to  the  king, 
and  went  in  to  him,  and  said  to  him,  I  give  thee  a  precaution,  O  king  of 
the  age.  So  the  king  said,  And  what  is  thy  precaution?  And  he  an- 
swered him,  Information  hath  been  given  me  that  thou  hast  built  a  bath. 
The  king  said,  Yes  :  a  stranger  hath  come  to  me,  and  I  have  founded  the 
bath  for  him,  like  as  I  have  founded  for  thee  this  dyeing  shop;  and  it  is 
an  excellent  bath  ;  my  city  hath  become  adorned  by  it.  And  he  proceeded 
to  mention  to  him  the  excellences  of  the  bath.  Aboukir  thou  said  to  him, 
And  hast  thou  entered  it  ?  He  answered,  Yes.  And  Aboukir  said,  Praise 
be  to  God  who  hath  saved  thee  from  the  wickedness  of  this  villain,  the 

477 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR 


The  dyer  going  to  the  kin 


enemy  of  the  religion;  and  he  is  the  bath-keeper.  The  king  therefore 
said  to  him,  And  what  is  his  desire  ?  And  Aboukir  answered,  Know,  O 
king  of  the  age,  that  if  thou  enter  the  bath  after  this  day,  thou  wilt  perish. 
Wherefore  ?  said  the  king.  He  answered  him,  Verily  the  bath-keeper  is 
thine  enemy,  and  the  enemy  of  the  religion  ;  for  he  induced  thee  not  to 
found  this  bath  save  because  he  desireth  to  poison  thee  in  it.  He  hath  made 
for  thee  a  thing ;  and  when  thou  enterest  the  bath,  he  will  bring  it  to  thee, 
and  will  say  to  thee,  This  is  a  remedy  :  whosoever  applieth  it  to  himself,  it 
will  cause  the  hair  to  fall  off  from  the  part  with  ease.  And  it  is  not  a 
remedy ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  a  cause  of  terrible  disease,  and  a  deadly 
poison.  The  Sultan  of  the  Christians  hath  promised  this  villain  that,  if  he 
slay  thee,  he  will  liberate  his  wife  and  his  children  from  captivity ;  for  his 
wife  and  his  childreu  are  in  captivity  in  the  land  of  the  Sultan  of  the 
Christians.  I  also  was  in  captivity  with  him  in  their  country  ;  but  I  opened 
a  dyeing  shop,  and  dyed  for  them  stuffs  of  various  colors,  in  consequence 
of  which  they  inclined  the  heart  of  the  king  to  favor  me,  and  the  king  said 
to  me,  What  dost  thou  desire  ?  Sol  desired  of  him  emancipation,  aud 
he  emancipated  me  ;  and,  having  come  to  this  city,  I  saw  the  man  in  the 
bath.  I  therefore  asked  him,  and  said  to  him,  How  was  effected  thine 
escape,  aud  the  escape  of  thy  wife  and  thy  children?  And  he  answered, 
I,  and  my  wife,  and  my  children  ceased  not  to  remain  in  captivity  until 
the  King  of  the  Christians  held  a  court,  and  I  was  present,  at  it  among  the 
rest,  standing  among  the  people,  and  I  heard  them  enter  upon  the  mention 
of  the  kings,  and  proceed  until  they  mentioned  the  king  of  this  city  ; 
whereupon  the  King  of  the  Christians  cried,  Ah  !  and  said,  No  one  in  the 
world  hath  overcome  me  except  the  king  of  such  a  city;  and  whosoever 
will  contrive  means  for  me  to  slay  him,  I  will  give  him  every  thing  that 
he  shall  desire.  So  I  advanced  to  him,  and  said  to  him,  If  I  contrive 
means  for  thee  to  slay  him,  wilt  thou  emancipate  me,  and  my  wife,  and 
my  children  ?  And  he  answered  me,  Yes,  I  will  emancipate  you,  and  I 
will  give  thee  all  that  thou  shalt  desire.  I  then  agreed  with  him  to  do 
this,  aud  he  sent  me  in  a  galleon  to  this  city.  So  I  went  up  to  this  king, 
and  he  built  for  me  this  bath,  and  there  remaineth  nothing  for  me  to  do 
but  to  kill  him,  and  go  to  the  King  of  the  Christians,  redeem  my  children 
and  my  wife,  and  demand  of  him  what  I  desire.  I  therefore  said,  And 
what  is  the  stratagem  that  thou  hast  contrived  in  order  to  kill  him  ?  And 
he  answered  me,  It  is  an  easy  stratagem,  the  easiest  that  can  be ;  for  he 
will  come  to  me  in  this  bath,  and  I  have  made  for  him  something  wherein 
is  poison ;  and  when  he  cometh,  I  will  say  to  him,  Take  this  remedy,  and 
478  -      ' 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

apply  it  to  any  part  fro  if  i  which  thou  wouldst  remove  hair;  for  the  hair 
will  fall  off.  So  he  will  take  it  and  apply  it  to  himself,  and  the  poison  will 
operate  within  him  a  day  and  a  night,  until  it  penetrateth  to  his  heart  and 
destroyeth  him,  and  there  will  be  an  end  of  the  affair.  Therefore,  on  my 
hearing  from  him  these  words,  I  feared  for  thee ;  because  thy  goodness 
hath  imposed  an  obligation  on  me,  and  I  have  informed  thee  of  this. 

So  when  the  king  heard  these  words,  he  was  violently  enraged  ;  and  he 
said  to  the  dyer,  Conceal  this  secret.  He  then  desired  to  go  to  the  bath, 
that  he  might  put  an  end  to  doubt  by  certain  assurance  ;  and  when  the 
king  entered  the  bath,  Abousir  divested  himself  as  he  was  accustomed  to 
do,  devoted  himself  to  the  service  of  the  king,  and  rubbed  him  with  the 
bag  ;  after  which  he  said  to  him,  O  king  of  the  age,  I  have  made  a  remedy 
for  clearing  away  the  hair.  So  he  said,  Bring  it  to  me.  And  he  brought 
it  before  him  ;  and  the  king  perceived  its  smell  to  be  abominable.  It  ap- 
peared sure  to  him,  therefore,  that  it  was  poison  ;  and  he  was  enraged, 
and  called  out  to  the  guards,  saying,  Seize  him  !  Accordingly,  the  guards 
laid  hold  upon  him,  and  the  king  went  forth,  infused  with  rage,  no  one 
knowing  the  cause  of  his  rage ;  and  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  the  rage 
of  the  king,  he  informed  not  any  one.  nor  did  any  one  dare  to  ask  him. 
He  then  put  on  his  clothes  and  went  up  to  the  council  chamber,  and, 
having  caused  Abousir  to  be  brought  before  him,  with  his  hands  bound  be- 
hind him,  he  summoned  the  sea-captain.  So  he  came ;  and  when  the 
captain  came,  the  king  said  to  him,  Take  this  villain  and  put  him  into  a 
sack,  and  put  into  the  sack  two  hundredweights  of  unslacked  lime,  and  tie 
up  its  mouth  over  him  and  the  lime  :  then  put  it  into  a  boat,  and  come  be- 
neath my  palace.  Thou  wilt  see  me  sitting  at  its  window,  and  do  thou 
say  to  me,  Shall  I  cast  it  in  ?  Thereupon  I  will  answer  thee,  Cast  it. 
And  when  I  have  said  to  thee  that,  cast  it,  that  the  lime  may  be  slacked 
upon  him,  and  he  may  die  drowned  and  burned.  So  he  replied,  I  hear 
and  obey.  He  then  took  him  from  before  the  king,  to  an  island  opposite 
the  king's  palace,  and  said  to  Abousir,  O  thou,  I  came  to  thee  once  in  the 
bath,  and  thou  treatedst  me  with  honor,  and  did  what  was  requisite  for  me, 
and  I  derived  great  pleasure  from  thee  :  thou  sworest  also  that  thou  wouldst 
not  receive  from  me  pay,  and  I  have  conceived  for  thee  a  violent  love. 
Tell  me,  then,  what  was  thy  case  with  the  king,  and  what  abominable 
action  hast  thou  done  to  him,  that  he  hath  become  enraged  against  thee, 
and  commanded  me  that  thou  shalt  die  this  evil  death  ?  So  he  replied,  By 
Allah,  I  have  not  done  any  thing,  and  I  have  no  knowledge  of  any  crime 
that  I  have  committed  against  him  requiring  this. 

Upon  this  the  captain  said  to  him,  Verily  thou  enjoyedst,  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  king,  great  dignity,  such  as  none  attained  before  thee  ;  and 
everyone  who  is  possessed  of  good  things  is  envied.  Perhaps,  then,  some 
one  hath  envied  thee  this  good  fortune,  and  said  some  words  injurious  to 
thee  in  the  presence  of  the  king,  in  consequence  of  which  the  king  hath 
been  thus  enraged  against  thee.  But  welcome  to  thee  !  No  harm  await- 
eth  thee.  For  as  thou  treatedst  me  with  honor  without  there  existing  any 
acquaintance  between  me  and  thee,  I  will  liberate  thee.  But  when  I 
liberate  thee,  thou  shalt  remain  with  me  on  this  island  until  a  galleon  shall 
depart  from  this  city  toward  thy  country,  when  I  will  send  thee  in  it. 
Abousir  therefore  kissed  the  hand  of  the  captain,  and  thanked  him  for  this. 
Then  the  captain  brought  the  lime,  and  put  it  into  a  sack,  and  he  put  into 

479 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

it  a  great  stone  as  large  as  a  man,  and  said,  I  place  my  reliance  upon  God. 
After  that  he  gave  to  Abousir  a  net,  and  said  to  him,  Cast  this  net  in  the 
sea.  Perhaps  thou  wilt  catch  some  fish.  For  the  fish  for  the  king's 
kitchen  are  required  of  me  every  day,  and  I  have  been  diverted  from  fish- 
ing by  this  calamity  that  hath  befallen  thee,  and  fear  that  the  cook's  young 
men  may  come  to  demand  the  fish,  and  not  find  it;  but  if  thou  catch  any 
thing,  they  will  find  it.  Do  so  while  I  go  and  practice  the  stratagem  that 
I  have  devised  beneath  the  palace,  and  I  will  pretend  that  I  have  cast  thee 
into  the  sea.  And  Abousir  replied,  I  will  fish,  and  go  thou,  and  may  God 
aid  thee  !  The  captain  therefore  put  the  sack  into  the  boat,  and  proceeded 
until  he  came  beneath  the  palace,  when  he  saw  the  king  sitting  at  the 
window,  and  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  shall  I  cast  him  in  ?  And  he  an- 
swered, Cast  him  :  and  he  made  a  sign  with  his  hand ;  and  lo,  a  thing 


5SS2vW2MSMS2^MS3 


The  king  making  the  sign  to  cast  Abousir  into  the  sea. 


gleamed ;  then  dropped  into  the  sea ;  and  behold,  what  dropped  into  the 
sea  was  the  king's  seal-ring.  This  ring  was  enchanted,  so  that,  when  the 
king  was  enraged  against  any  one,  and  desired  to  slay  him,  he  would  make 
a  sign  to  him  with  his  right  hand,  upon  which  was  the  seal-ring,  and  there 
would  proceed  from  the  ring  lightning,  which  would  strike  the  person  to 
whom  he  made  the  sign,  and  his  head  would  fall  from  between  his  shoul- 
ders. And  the  troops  obeyed  him  not,  nor  did  he  subdue  the  might}'  merj, 
480 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

save  by  means  of  this  seal-ring.  So  when  the  ring  fell  from  his  finger,  he 
concealed  the  matter,  being  unable  to  say,  My  ring  hath  fallen  into  the  sea, 
through  fear  of  the  troops,  lest  they  should  rise  against  him  and  slay  him  : 
wherefore  he  was  silent. 

But  as  to  Abousir,  after  the  departure  of  the  captain,  he  took  the  net, 
and  cast  it  in  the  sea,  and  drew  it ;  and  it  came  forth  full  of  fish.  Then 
he  cast  it  a  second  time,  and  it  came  up  full  of  fish  again.     He  ceased  not 


Abousir  emptying  the  net. 


to  cast  it,  and  it  came  up  every  time  full  of  fish,  until  there  was  before  him 
a  great  heap  of  fish;  whereupon  he  said  within  himself,  By  Allah,  for  a 
long  time  I  have  not  eaten  fish.  And  he  chose  for  himself  a  large,  fat  fish, 
and  said,  When  the  captain  cometh,  I  will  tell  him  to  fry  for  me  this  fish, 
that  I  may  make  my  dinner  of  it.  He  then  killed  it  with  a  knife  that  he 
had  with  him,  and  the  knife  stuck  in  its  gill,  and  he  saw  the  king's  seal-ring 
in  it;  for  the  fish  had  swallowed  it,  and  destiny  had  driven  it  to  that  island, 
and  it  had  fallen  into  the  net.  So  he  took  the  ring  and  put  it  on  his  little 
finger,  not  knowing  its  properties  ;  and  lo,  two  young  men,  of  the  servants 
of  the  cook,  came  to  demand  the  fish  ;  and  when  they  were  near  Abousir, 
they  said,  O  man,  whither  is  gone  the  captain  ?  He  answered,  I  know 
not;  and  made  a  sign  with  his  right  hand,  and  behold,  the  heads  of  the 
two  young  men  fell  from  between  their  shoulders  when  he  made  a  sign  to 
them  and  said,  I  know  not.  Abousir  therefore  wondered  at  that,  and  said, 
Who  can  have  slain  them  ?  Their  case  grieved  him,  and  he  was  re 
fleeting  upon  this  event,  when  lo,  the  captain  approached,  and  saw  a  great 
heap  of  fish,  and  saw  the  two  young  men  slain,  and  the  seal-ring  upon  the 
finger  of  Abousir.  So  he  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  move  not  thy  hand 
upon  which  is  the  seal-ring;  for  if  thou  move  it,  thou  wilt  slay  me.  And 
he  wondered  at  his  saying,  Move  not  thy  hand  upon  which  is  the  seal 
ring ;  for  if  thou  move  it,  thou  wilt  slay  me.  And  when  the  captain  came 
to  him,  he  said,  Who  slew  these  two  young  men?  Abousir  answered 
him,  By  Allah,  O  my  brother,  I  know  not.  And  the  captain  replied,  Thou 
hast  spoken  truth  ;  but  inform  me  respecting  this  seal-ring,  whence  it  came 
to  thee.  He  said,  I  saw  it  in  the  gill  of  this  fish.  And  the  captain  re- 
joined, Thou  hast  spoiwm  truth ;  for  I  saw  it  descending  gleaming  from 
Vol.  II X  481 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

Lhe  palace  of  the  king  till  it  dropped  into  the  sea,  when  he  made  a  sign 
with  respect  to  thee,  and  said  to  me,  Cast  him.  And  when  he  made  the 
sign,  I  cast  in  the  sack,  and  the  ring  had  dropped  from  his  finger  and  fallen 
into  the  sea.  Thereupon  this  fish  swallowed  it,  and  God  drove  the  fish  to 
chee,  so  that  thou  caughtest  it;  therefore  this  is  thy  lot.  But  knowest 
thou  the  properties  of  this  seal-ring?  Abousir  answered,  I  do  not  know 
its  properties.  And  the  captain  said,  Know  that  the  troops  of  our  king 
have  not  obeyed  him  save  from  fear  of  this  seal-ring,  because  it  is  enchanted ; 
and  when  the  king  was  enraged  against  any  one,  and  desired  his  slaughter, 
he  used  to  make  a  sign  to  him  with  it,  and  his  head  would  fall  from  be- 
tween his  shoulders  ;  for  a  lightning  would  proceed  from  this  ring,  and  its 
ray  would  reach  the  object  of  rage,  who  would  die  immediately.  So  when 
Abousir  heard  these  words,  he  rejoiced  exceedingly,  and  said  to  the  cap- 
tain, Take  me  back  to  the  city.  And  the  captain  replied,  I  will  take  thee 
back,  since  I  no  longer  fear  for  thee  with  respect  to  the  king ;  for  when 
thou  makest  a  sign  with  thy  hand,  and  hast  conceived  the  intention  of 
slaying  him,  his  head  will  fall  down  before  thee ;  aud  if  thou  shouldst  de- 
sire the  slaughter  of  the  king  and  all  the  troops,  thou  wouldst  kill  them 
without  impediment. 

He  then  embarked  in  the  boat,  and  repaired  with  him  to  the  city;  and 
when  he  arrived  there,  he  went  up  to  the  palace  of  the  king,  and  entered 
the  council  chamber,  where  he  saw  the  king  sitting,  with  the  troops  before 
him,  and  he  was  in  a  state  of  excessive  grief  on  account  of  the  seal-ring, 
unable  to  inform  any  one  of  the  soldiers  of  the  loss  of  the  ring.  So  when 
the  king  saw  him,  he  said  to  him,  Did  we  not  cast  thee  into  the  sea  ? 
How  hast  thou  contrived  that  thou  hast  come  forth  from  it?  And  he  an- 
swered him,  O  king  of  the  age,  when  thou  gavest  orders  to  cast  me  into 
the  sea,  thy  captain  took  me  and  proceeded  with  me  to  an  island,  and  asked 
me  respecting  the  cause  of  thy  rage  against  me,  saying  to  me,  What  hast 
thou  done  unto  the  king,  that  he  hath  given  orders  for  thy  death?  I  an- 
swered him,  By  Allah,  I  know  not  that  I  have  done  unto  him  any  foul 
action.  And  he  said  to  me,  Verily  thou  enjoyedst  great  dignity  in  the  esti- 
mation of  the  king,  and  perhaps  some  one  hath  envied  thee,  and  said  some 
words  injurious  to  thee  in  the  presence  of  the  king,  in  consequence  of 
which  he  hath  become  enraged  against  thee.  But  I  came  to  thee  in  thy 
bath,  and  thou  treatedst  me  with  honor ;  and  in  requital  of  the  honor  that 
thou  showedst  me  in  thy  bath,  I  will  save  thee,  and  will  send  thee  to  thy 
country.  He  then  put  into  the  boat  a  stone  instead  of  me,  and  cast  it  into 
the  sea.  But  when  thou  madest  a  sign  to  him  with  reference  to  me,  the 
seal-ring  fell  from  thy  hand  into  the  sea,  and  a  fish  swallowed  it ;  and  1 
was  on  the  island,  fishing,  and  that  fish  came  up  in  the  net  among  others. 
Thereupon  I  took  it,  desiring  to  broil  it;  and  when  I  opened  its  body,  1 
saw  the  seal-ring  in  it.  So  I  took  it  and  put  it  on  my  finger ;  and  there 
came  to  me  two  of  the  servants  of  the  kitchen,  demanding  the  fish ;  and  I 
made  a  sign  to  them,  not  knowing  the  property  of  the  seal-ring,  and  their 
heads  fell  off.  Then  the  captain  came,  and  he  knew  the  ring  which  was 
upon  my  finger,  and  acquainted  me  with  its  magic  influence.  I  have  there- 
fore brought  it  to  thee ;  for  thou  hast  acted  kindly  to  me,  and  treated  me 
with  the  utmost,  generosity,  and  the  good  actions  that  thou  hast  done  me 
have  not  been  lost  upon  me.  This  is  thy  seal-ring ;  so  take  it ;  and  if  I 
have  done  unto  thee  any  thing  requiring  niy  slaughter,  acquaint  me  with  my 
482 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

crime,  and  slay  me,  and  thou  shalt  be  absolved  of  sin  in  shedding  my  blood. 
He  then  pulled  off  the  seal-ring  from  his  finger,  and  handed  it  to  the  kiug. 

Therefore,  when  the  king  saw  Abousir's  beneficent  conduct,  he  received 
the  ring  from  him  and  put  it  on  his  finger.  His  soul  was  restored  to  him, 
and,  rising  upon  his  feet,  he  embraced  Abousir,  and  said,  O  man,  thou  art 
of  the  most  excellent  of  the  sons  of  the  ingenuous  !  Blame  me  not;  but 
pardon  me  for  my  injurious  conduct  to  thee.  Had  any  one  but  thyself  got 
possession  of  this  seal-ring,  he  had  not  given  it  to  me.  Abousir  replied,  O 
king  of  the  age,  if  thou  desire  that  T  should  pardon  thee,  acquaint  me  with 
my  crime  that  required  thee  to  be  enraged  against  me,  so  that  thou  gavest 
orders  for  my  slaughter.  The  king  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  it  hath  become 
manifest  to  me  that  thou  art  innocent,  and  thou  art  not  guilty  in  aught, 
since  thou  hast  done  this  kind  action ;  but  the  dyer  said  to  me  thus  and 
thus.  And  he  acquainted  him  with  that  which  the  dyer  had  said  ;  where- 
upon Abousir  said,  By  Allah,  O  king  of  the  age,  I  know  not  the  king  of  the 
Christians,  nor  in  my  life  have  I  gone  to  the  country  of  the  Christians,  nor 
did  it  enter  my  mind  to  kill  thee.  But  this  dyer  was  my  companion  and 
my  neighbor  in  the  city  of  Alexandria,  and  our  life  there  became  difficult; 
so  we  came  forth  from  it,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  our  live- 
lihood, and  recited  together  the  opening  chapter  of  the  Koran  in  confirma- 
tion of  our  agreement  that  the  occupied  should  feed  the  unoccupied  ;  and 
such  and  such  events  happened  to  me  with  him.  He  acquainted  him  with 
all  that  had  happened  to  him  with  Aboukir  the  Dyer,  and  how  he  had  taken 
his  money,  and  abandoned  him  sick  in  the  chamber  that  was  in  the  khan, 
and  that  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan  used  to  expend  upon  him  while  he 
was  sick,  until  God  restored  him.  Then  he  went  forth  and  walked  about 
the  city  with  his  apparatus,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  do ;  and  while  he 
was  in  the  way,  he  saw  a  dyeing  shop  before  which  the  people  were 
crowding,  and,  looking  at  the  door  of  the  dyeing  shop,  he  saw  Aboukir 
sitting  upon  a  stone  seat  there.  So  he  entered  to  salute  him,  and  he  ex- 
perienced from  him  that  beating  and  injurious  treatment;  Aboukir  assert- 
ing that  he  was  a  thief,  and  indicting  upon  him  a  painful  beating.  And  he 
acquainted  the  king  with  all  that  had  befallen  him  from  first  to  last.  Then 
he  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  he  is  the  person  who  said  to  me,  Make  the 
remedy,  and  present  it  to  the  king ;  for  the  bath  is  perfect  in  all  things, 
saving  that  this  remedy  is  wanting  in  it.  And  know,  O  king  of  the  age, 
that  this  remedy  injureth  not;  we  make  it  in  our  country,  and  it  is  one 
of  the  requisites  of  the  bath;  but  I  had  forgotten  it;  and  when  the  dyer 
came  to  me,  and  I  treated  him  with  honor,  he  reminded  me  of  it,  and  said 
to  me,  Make  the  remedy.  Now  send,  O  king  of  the  age,  and  bring  the 
door-keeper  of  such  a  khan,  and  the  workmen  of  the  dyeing  shop,  and  ask 
them  all  respecting  the  things  with  which  I  have  acquainted  thee. 

So  the  king  sent  to  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan,  and  to  the  workmen 
of  the  dyeing  shop;  and  when  they  all  were  present,  lie  asked  them,  and 
they  acquainted  him  with  the  case.  He  therefore  sent  to  the  dyer,  and 
said,  Bring  ye  him  barefooted,  with  his  head  uncovered,  and  with  his 
hands  bound  behind  him.  Now  the  dyer  was  sitting  in  his  house,  happy 
at  the  thought  of  the  slaughter  of  Abousir,  and  he  was  not  aware  when 
the  guards  of  the  king  rushed  upon  him,  and  blows  fell  upon  the  back  of 
his  neck.  They  then  bound  his  hands  behind  his  back,  and  came  with  him 
before  the  king;    whereupon  he  saw  Abousir  sitting  by  the  side  of  the 

483 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

king,  and  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan,  and  the  workmen  of  the  dyeing 
shop,  standing  before  him.  So  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan  said  to  him, 
Is  not.  this  thy  companion,  whose  money  thou  stolest,  and  whom  thou  left- 
est  with  me  in  the  chamber  sick,  and  to  whom  thou  didst  such  and  such 
things  ?  And  the  workmen  of  the  dyeing  shop  said  to  him,  Is  not  this  he 
whom  thou  commandedst  us  to  seize,  and  whom  we  beat  ?  The  baseness 
of  Aboukir,  therefore,  was  manifest  to  the  king,  and  his  deserving  more 
severe  torture  than  that  which  is  inflicted  by  Munkar  and  Nekir :  so  the 
king  said,  Take  ye  him,  and  parade  him  as  an  example  through  the  city, 
and  put  him  into  a  sack,  and  cast  him  into  the  sea.  Upon  this  Abousir 
said,  O  king  of  the  age,  accept  my  intercession  for  him ;  for  I  have  par- 
doned him  all  that  he  hath  done  unto  me.  But  the  king  replied,  If  thou 
hast  pardoned  him  for  his  injurious  conduct  to  thee,  I  can  not  pardon  him 
for  his  injurious  conduct  to  me.  He  then  cried  out  and  said,  Take  ye  him  ! 
They  therefore  took  him  and  paraded  him  ;  and  after  that  they  put  him 
into  a  sack,  and  put  with  him  the  lime,  and  cast  him  into  the  sea ;  so  he 
died  drowned  and  burned.  Then  the  king  said,  O  Abousir,  demand  of  me 
what  thou  wilt,  and  it  shall  be  given  thee.  And  he  replied,  I  demand  of 
thee  that  thou  send  me  to  my  country,  for  I  no  longer  desire  to  reside  here. 
The  king  therefore  gave  him  an  abundance  of  things,  in  addition  to  his 
former  wealth,  and  portion  and  gifts,  and  bestowed  upon  him  a  galleon  laden 
with  good  things,  the  sailors  of  which  were  mamlouks,  whom  also  he  gave 
to  him,  after  he  had  proposed  to  him  that  he  should  make  him  vizier,  and 
he  consented  not.  Abousir  then  bade  the  king  farewell,  and  set  forth  on 
his  voyage,  all  that  was  in  the  galleon  being  his  property ;  even  the  sail- 
ors being  his  mamlouks  ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  pursue  his  voyage  until  he 
arrived  at  the  district  of  Alexandria,  and  moored  by  the  shore  of  Alexandria. 
Thereupon  they  landed  ;  and  one  of  his  mamlouks  saw  a  sack  by  the  shore  ; 
so  he  said,  O  my  master,  by  the  shore  of  the  sea  is  a  large,  heavy  sack, 
the  mouth  of  which  is  tied,  and  I  know  not  what  is  in  it.  Abousir  there- 
fore came  and  opened  it,  and  he  saw  in  it  the  body  of  Aboukir,  the  sea 


Alexandria. 

484 


STORY  OF  ABOUSIR  AND  ABOUKIR. 

having  driven  it  toward  Alexandria.  And  he  took  the  body  forth,  and 
buried  it  in  the  neighborhood  of  Alexandria,  and  made  for  it  a  tomb  for 
visitation,  which  he  endowed  with  unalienable  legacies;  and  he  inscribed 
over  the  door  of  the  building  which  inclosed  the  grave  these  verses : 

A  man  is  known  among  others  by  his  actions,  and  the  deeds  of  the  ingenuous  and 
generous  are  like  his  origin. 

Backbite  not,  lest  thou  be  backbitten;  for  probably,  of  him  who  saith  a  thing,  the 
like  will  be  said: 

And  abstain  from  shameful  words  :  utter  them  not  when  thou  speakest  seriously, 
or  when  thou  jestest ; 

For  the  dog,  if  he  retain  good  qualities,  is  domesticated,  while  the  lion  is  chained 
in  consequence  of  his  ignorance: 

And  the  carcasses  of  the  desert  float  upon  the  sea,  while  the  fine  pearl  lies  neg- 
lected on  its  lowest  sands. 

A  sparrow  would  not  offer  molestation  to  a  hawk,  were  it  not  for  its  folly  and  the 
weakness  of  its  sense. 

In  the  sky  is  written,  upon  the  pages  of  the  air,  He  who  doth  kind  actions  will  ex- 
perience the  like. 

Attempt  not  to  extract  sugar  from  the  colocynth  ;  for  the  thing  will  prove  to  be,  in 
taste,  like  its  origin. 

Then  Abousir  remained  a  while,  after  which  God  took  his  soul,  and 
they  buried  him  near  the  sepulcher  of  his  companion  Aboukir;  and  on 
that  account  this  place  was  called  Aboukir  and  Abousir ;  but  it  is  common- 
ly known  now  by  the  name  of  AbouUir.  This  is  what  hath  been  related 
to  us  of  their  story.  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  Him  who  endureth  for- 
ever, and  by  whose  will  the  nights  and  days  interchange! 


4  35 


Abdalla  of  the  Laud  and  bis  children. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

COMMENCING   WITH    PART  OF    THE    NINE   HUNDRED   AND    FORTIETH    NIGHT, 
AND    ENDING   WITH   PART    OF    THE    NINE    HUNDRED   AND    FORTY-SIXTH. 


THE  STORY  OF  ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF 

THE  SEA. 

There  was  a  fisherman  named  Abdalla,  who  had  a  numerous  family ; 
he  had  nine  children  and  their  mother,  and  was  very  poor,  possessing  noth- 
ing but  his  net.  He  used  to  go  every  day  to  the  sea  to  fish  ;  and  when  he 
caught  little,  he  sold  it,  and  expended  its  price  upon  his  children,  according 
as  God  supplied  him;  but  if  he  caught  much,  he  would  cook  a  good  dish, 
and  buy  fruit,  and  cease  not  to  expend  until  there  remained  not  aught  in 
his  possession  ;  whereupon  he  would  say  within  himself,  The  supply  ueces- 
486 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  AI3DALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

sary  for  to-morrow  will  come  to-morrow.  Now  when  his  wife  gave  birth 
to  another,  his  children  became  ten  persons ;  and  the  man  that  day  pos- 
sessed not  any  thing  whatever  :  so  his  wife  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  see 
for  me  something  wherewith  I  may  sustain  myself.  He  answered  her, 
Lo,  I  am  going,  relying  upon  the  blessiug  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !), 
to  the  sea  this  day,  for  the  luck  of  this  new-born  child,  that  we  may  see  its 
fortune.  And  she  replied,  Place  thy  dependence  upon  God.  According- 
ly, he  took  the  net  and  repaired  to  the  sea.  He  then  cast  the  net  for  the 
luck  of  that  little  infant,  and  said,  O  Allah,  make  his  subsistence  easy,  not 
difficult;  and  abundant,  not  little!  He  waited  over  it  a  while,  and  then 
drew  it,  and  it  came  forth  full  of  rubbish,  and  sand,  and  pebbles,  and  grass ; 
and  he  saw  not  in  it  any  fish ;  neither  many  did  he  see,  nor  few.  So  he 
cast  it  a  second  time,  and  waited  over  it,  and  then  drew  it ;  but  he  saw  not 
in  it  fish.  And  he  cast  a  third  time,  and  a  fourth,  and  a  fifth;  but  there 
came  not  up  in  it  any  fish.  He  therefore  removed  to  another  place,  and 
begged  his  subsistence  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  ceased  not 
to  do  thus  till  the  close  of  the  day,  but  caught  not  a  single  minnow.  And 
he  wondered  in  his  mind,  and  said.  Hath  God  created  this  new-born  child 
without,  allotting  it  subsistence  ?  This  can  never  be ;  for  He  who  hath 
opened  the  jaws  hath  undertaken  to  provide  for  them  the  necessary  sub- 
sistence ;  and  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  is  bountiful,  a  liberal  supplier 
of  the  necessaries  of  life. 

He  then  took  up  the  net  and  returned  with  broken  spirit,  his  heart 
being  occupied  with  care  for  his  family,  because  he  had  left  them  without 
food,  especially  as  his  wife  had  just  given  birth  to  a  child.  He  ceased  not 
to  walk  on,  saying  within  himself.  What  is  to  be  done  ;  and  what  shall  I 
say  to  the  children  this  night  ?  Then  he  came  before  the  oven  of  a  baker, 
and  saw  a  crowd  before  it.  The  time  was  a  time  of  dearness  ;  and  in  those 
days  there  existed  not  in  the  possession  of  the  people  more  than  a  scanty 
supply  of  provisions,  and  the  people  were  offering  money  to  the  baker,  but 
he  paid  no  attention  to  any  one  of  them,  on  account  of  the  greatness  of  the 
crowd.  The  fisherman,  however,  stood  looking,  and  smelling  the  smell  of 
the  hot  bread,  and  his  soul  desired  it  by  reason  of  his  hunger;  and  there- 
upon the  baker  saw  him,  and  called  out  to  him.  saying,  Come  hither,  O 
fisherman  !  So  he  advanced  to  him;  and  the  baker  said  to  him,  Dost  thou 
desire  bread  ?  And  he  was  silent.  The  baker  said  to  him,  Speak,  and  be 
not  abashed  ;  for  God  is  bountiful.  If  thou  have  not  with  thee  money,  I 
will  give  thee,  and  will  have  patience  with  thee  until  good  shall  betide  thee. 
The  fisherman  therefore  replied,  By  Allah,  O  master,  I  have  not  money  ; 
but  give  me  bread  sufficient  for  my  family,  and  I  will  leave  this  net  in 
pawn  with  thee  till  to-morrow.  But  the  baker  said  to  him,  O  poor  man, 
verily  this  net  is.  as  it  were,  thy  shop,  and  the  door  of  thy  subsistence;  and 
if  thou  give  it  in  pawn,  with  what  wilt  thou  fish  ?  Acquaint  me,  then,  with 
the  quantity  that  will  suffice  thee.  He  replied,  For  ten  farthings.  And 
he  gave  him  bread  for  tea  farthings  ;  after  which  he  gave  him  also  ten 
farthings,  and  said  to  him,  Take  these  ten  farthings,  and  cook  for  thee  by 
their  means  a  dish  of  food  ;  so  thou  wilt  owe  twenty  farthings,  and  to- 
morrow bring  me  their  value  in  fish,  or,  if  naught  betide  thee,  come,  re- 
ceive thy  bread  and  ten  farthings,  and  I  will  have  patience  with  thee  until 
good  shall  betide  thee;  and  after  that  bring  me  fish  to  the  value  of  that 
which  I  shall  be  eutitled  to  receive  from  thee.     So  the  fisherman  replied. 

487 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALEA  OF  THE  SEA. 

ifflIM 


Baker's  shop. 

May  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  reward  thee,  and  recompense  thee 
for  me  with  eveiy  thing  good !  He  then  took  the  bread  and  the  ten 
farthings,  and  went  away  happy,  and,  having  purchased  for  him  what  he 
easily  could,  went  in  to  his  wife  ;  and  he  saw  her  sitting,  soothing  the  chil- 
dren, who  were  weeping  by  reason  of  their  hunger,  and  she  was  saying  to 
them,  This  instant  your  father  will  bring  something  for  you  to  eat.  So 
when  he  went  in  to  them,  he  put  down  for  them  the  bread,  and  they  ate ; 
and  he  acquainted  his  wife  with  that  which  had  happened  to  him  ;  where- 
upon she  said  to  him,  God  is  bountiful. 

And  on  the  following  day  he  took  up  his  net  and  went  forth  from  his 
house,  saying,  I  beg  thee,  O  Lord,  to  supply  me,  this  day,  with  that  which 
shall  whiten  my  face  in  the  eyes  of  the  baker!  And  when  he  came  to  the 
sea,  he  proceeded  to  cast  the  net  and  draw  it;  but  there  came  not  forth  in 
it  any  fish.  He  ceased  not  to  do  so  until  the  close  of  the  day,  and  got 
nothing.  So  he  returned  in  great  grief;  and  the  way  to  his  house  led  by 
the  oven  of  the  baker.  He  therefore  said  within  himself,  By  what  way 
can  I  go  to  my  house  ?  But  I  will  quicken  my  pace,  that  the  baker  may 
not  see  me.  And  when  he  came  to  the  oven  of  the  baker,  he  saw  a 
crowd  ;  and  he  hastened  in  his  pace,  by  reason  of  his  abashment  at  the 
baker,  in  order  that  he  might  not  see  him  ;  but  lo,  the  baker  raised  his  eyes 
toward  him,  and  cried  out,  saying,  O  fisherman,  come  hither  ;  receive  thy 
bread  and  the  money  for  thy  expenditure  ;  for  thou  hast  forgotten  !  He 
replied,  No,  by  Allah,  I  forgot  not ;  but  I  was  abashed  at  thee  ;  for  I  have 
not  caught  any  fish  this  day.  The  baker  said  to  him,  Be  not  abashed. 
Did  I  not  say  to  thee,  Take  thy  leisure,  until  good  shall  betide  thee  ? 
Then  he  gave  him  the  bread  and  the  ten  farthings,  and  he  weut  to  his 
wife  and  informed  her  of  the  news  ;  upon  which  she  said  to  him,  God  is 
bountiful.  If  it  be  the  will  of  God,  good  will  betide  thee,  and  thou  shalt 
pay  him  all  that  is  due  to  him.  And  he  ceased  not  to  continue  thus  for  the 
space  of  forty  days,  every  day  going  to  the  sea,  and  remaining  from  the 
rising  of  the  sun  to  its  setting,  and  returning  without  fish,  and  receiving 
bread,  and  money  for  his  expenditure,  from  the  baker,  who  mentioned  not 
48d 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

to  him  the  fish  any  day  of  those  days,  nor  neglected  him  as  men  generally 
would  have  done,  but  gave  him  the  ten  farthings  and  the  bread  ;  and  every 
time  that  the  fisherman  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  reckon  with  me,  he 
would  reply,  Go,  this  is  not  the  time  for  reckoning  :  wait  until  good  shall 
betide  thee,  and  then  I  will  reckon  with  thee.  So  he  would  pray  for  him, 
and  depart  from  him  thanking  him.  And  on  the  one-and-fortieth  day  he 
said  to  his  wife,  I  desire  to  cut  up  this  net,  and  be  relieved  of  this  mode 
of  life.  Wherefore  ?  said  she.  He  answered  her,  It  seemeth  that  my 
supply  of  subsistence  from  the  sea  is  ended.  And  how  long,  he  added, 
shall  this  state  continue  ?  By  Allah,  I  am  dissolved  by  abashment  at  the 
baker,  and  I  will  no  more  go  to  the  sea,  that  I  may  not  pass  by  his  oven  ; 
for  there  is  no  way  for  me  save  by  his  oven  ;  and  every  time  that  I  pass 
by  it,  he  calleth  me,  and  giveth  me  the  bread  and  the  ten  farthings.  How 
long,  then,  shall  I  run  in  debt  to  him  ?  But  she  replied,  Praise  be  to  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted  !)  who  hath  moved  his  heart  to  favor  thee  so  that 
he  giveth  thee  the  food  !  And  what  dost  thou  dislike  in  this  ?  He  said, 
I  now  owe  him  a  great  sum  of  money,  and  inevitably  he  will  demand  his 
due.  His  wife  said  to  him,  Hath  he  vexed  thee  with  words  ?  He  an- 
swered, No ;  nor  would  he  reckon  with  me  ;  but  would  say  to  me,  Wait 
until  good  shall  betide  thee.  Then,  replied  his  wife,  when  he  demandeth 
of  thee,  say  to  him,  Wait  until  the  good  that  I  and  thou  hope  for  shall  be- 
tide. And  he  said  to  her,  When  will  the  good  that  we  hope  for  come  ? 
She  answered  him,  God  is  bountiful.  And  he  replied,  Thou  hast  spoken 
truth. 

He  then  took  up  his  net  and  repaired  to  the  sea,  saying,  O  Lord,  sup- 
ply me,  if  only  with  one  fish,  that  I  may  give  it  to  the  baker  !  Then  he 
cast  the  net  in  the  sea,  and  drew  it,  and  found  it  heavy  ;  and  he  ceased  not 
to  labor  at  it  until  he  was  violently  fatigued  ;  but  when  he  drew  it  forth,  he 
saw  in  it  a  dead  ass,  swollen,  and  of  abominable  odor  ;  so  his  soul  was 
wearied.  He  extricated  it  from  the  net,  and  said,  There  is  no  strength 
nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great !  I  have  been  tired  of  saying 
to  this  woman,  There  remaineth  for  me  no  means  of  subsistence  in  the 
sea  :  let  me  abandon  this  occupation  :  and  of  her  replying,  God  is  bountiful : 
good  will  betide  thee.  Is  then  this  dead  ass  that  good  ?  Exceeding  grief 
alfected  him,  and  he  went  to  another  place,  that  he  might  be  remote  from 
the  smell  of  the  ass,  and  took  the  net,  and  cast  it,  and  waited  over  it  some 
time.  Then  he  drew  it,  and  again  found  it  heavy  ;  and  he  ceased  not  to 
labor  at  it  until  blood  issued  from  the  palms  of  his  hands;  and  when  he  had 
drawn  forth  the  net,  he  saw  in  it  a  human  being.  So  he  imagined  that  he 
was  an  Afrite,  of  those  whom  the  Lord  Solomon  used  to  imprison  in  bot- 
tles of  brass  and  cast  into  the  sea,  and  that,  the  bottle  having  broken  by 
reason  of  the  length  of  years,  that  Afrite  had  issued  from  it  and  come  up 
in  the  sea.  He  therefore  lied  from  him,  and  began  to  say,  Mercy  !  mercy ! 
()  Afrite  of  Solomon  !  But  the  human  being  cried  out  to  him  from  within 
the  net,  saying,  Come  hither,  <)  fisherman  !  Flee  not  from  me  ;  for  I  am 
a  human  being  like  thee.  Liberate  me,  then,  that  thou  mayest  obtain  my 
recompense.  So  when  tin-  fisherman  heard  his  words,  his  heart  became 
tranquilized,  and  he  came  to  him  and  said  to  him,  Art  thou  not  an  Afrite 
of  the  Genii  .'  He  answered,  No  ;  but  I  am  a  man,  a  believer  in  God  and 
his  Apostle.  The  fisherman  said  to  him,  And  who  cast  thee  into  the  sea? 
He  replied,  I  am  of  the  children  of  the  sea.  I  was  going  about,  and  thou 
x*  489 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

threwest  upon  me  the  net.  We  are  nations  obedient  to  the  ordinances  of 
God,  and  we  are  compassionate  to  the  creatures  of  God  (whose  name  be 
exalted !) ;  and  were  it  not  that  I  fear  and  dread  being  of  the  disobedient, 
J.  should  have  rent  thy  net ;  but  I  willingly  submit  to  that  which  God  hath 
decreed  to  befall  me  ;  and  thou,  if  thou  deliver  me,  wilt  become  my  owner, 
and  I  shall  become  thy  captive.  Wilt  thou  then  emancipate  me  with  the 
desire  of  seeing  the  face  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  make  a 
covenant  with  me,  and  become  my  companion  ?  I  will  come  to  thee  every 
day  in  this  place,  and  thou  shalt  come  to  me,  and  bring  for  me  a  present 
of  the  fruits  of  the  land.  For  with  you  are  grapes,  and  figs,  and  water- 
melons, and  peaches,  and  pomegranates,  and  other  fruits,  and  every  thing 
that  thou  wilt  bring  me  will  be  acceptable  from  thee.  And  with  us  are 
coral,  and  pearls,  and  chrysolites,  and  emeralds,  and  jacinths,  and  other 
jewels.  So  I  will  fill  for  thee  the  basket  in  which  thou  wilt  bring  me  the 
fruits  with  minerals,  consisting  of  the  jewels  of  the  sea.  What,  then,  sayest 
thou,  O  my  brother,  of  this  proposal  ?  The  fisherman  answered  him,  Let 
the  opening  chapter  of  the  Koran  be  recited  in  confirmation  of  the  agree- 
ment between  me  and  thee  as  to  this  proposal. 

Accordingly,  each  of  them  recited  the  chapter,  and  the  fisherman  liber- 
ated him  from  the  net,  and  said  to  him,  What  is  thy  name  ?  He  answered, 
My  name  is  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  ;  and  if  thou  come  to  this  place,  and  see 
me  not,  call  out  and  say,  Where  art  thou,  O  Abdalla,  O  thou  of  the  sea? 
and  I  will  be  with  thee  instantly.  Aud  thou  (he  added),  what  is  thy 
name  ?  The  fisherman  answered,  My  name  is  Abdalla.  So  the  other 
replied,  Thou  art  Abdalla  of  the  Land,  and  I  am  Abdalla  of  the  Sea.  Now 
stay  here  while  I  go  and  bring  thee  a  present.  And  he  said,  I  hear  and 
obey.  Then  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  went  into  the  sea  ;  and  thereupon  Abdalla 
of  the  Land  repented  of  his  having  liberated  him  from  the  net ;  and  he 
said  within  himself,  How  do  I  know  that  he  will  return  to  me  ?  He  only 
laughed  at  me,  so  that  I  liberated  him  ;  and  had  I  kept  him,  I  might  have 
diverted  the  people  in  the  city  with  the  sight  of  him,  and  received  money 
for  showing  him  from  all  the  people,  and  entered  with  him  the  houses  of 
the  great  men.  Therefore  he  repented  of  his  having  liberated  him,  and 
said  to  himself,  Thy  prey  hath  gone  from  thy  hand.  But  while  he  was 
lamenting  his  escape  from  his  hand,  lo,  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  returned  to 
him,  with  his  hands  filled  with  pearls,  and  coral,  and  emeralds,  and  jacinths, 
and  other  jewels,  and  said  to  him,  Receive,  O  my  brother,  and  blame  me  not ; 
for  I  have  not  a  basket :  if  I  had,  I  would  have  filled  it  for  thee.  So  there- 
upon Abdalla  of  the  Land  rejoiced,  and  received  from  him  the  jewels  ;  and 
Abdalla  of  the  Sea  said  to  him,  Every  day  thou  shalt  come  to  this  place 
before  sunrise.  He  then  bade  him  farewell,  and  departed,  and  entered 
the  sea. 

But  as  to  the  fisherman,  he  entered  the  city,  joyful,  and  ceased  not  to 
walk  on  until  he  came  to  the  oven  of  the  baker,  when  he  said  to  him,  O 
my  brother,  good  hath  betided  us  :  therefore  reckon  with  me.  The  baker 
replied,  No  reckoning  is  necessary.  If  thou  have  with  thee  any  thing, 
give  me  ;  and  if  thou  have  not  with  thee  any  thing,  receive  thy  bread,  and 
the  money  for  thy  expenditure,  and  go,  and  wait  until  good  shall  betide 
thee.  So  he  said  to  him,  O  my  companion,  good  hath  betided  me  from 
the  bounty  of  God,  and  I  owe  thee  a  large  sum  ;  but  receive  this.  And  he 
took  for  him  a  handful  of  pearls,  and  corals,  and  jacinths,  and  other  jewels, 
490 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

that  handful  being  half  of  what  he  had  with  him;  and  he  gave  it  to  the  baker, 
and  said  to  him,  Give  me  some  money  that  I  may  expend  it  this  day,  until 
I  shall  sell  these  minerals.  He  therefore  gave  him  all  the  money  that  he 
had  at  his  command,  and  all  the  bread  that  was  in  the  basket  which  he  had 
with  him  ;  and  the  baker  was  rejoiced  with  those  minerals,  and  said  to  the 
fisherman,  I  am  thy  slave  and  thy  servant.  He  carried  all  the  bread  that 
he  had  with  him  on  his  head,  and  walked  behind  him  to  the  house,  and  the 
fisherman  gave  the  bread  to  his  wife  and  his  children.  The  baker  then 
went  to  the  market,  and  brought  meat,  and  vegetables,  and  all  kinds  of  fruit. 
He  abandoned  the  oven,  and  remained  all  that  day  occupying  himself  with 
the  service  of  Abdalla  of  the  Land,  and  performing  for  him  his  affairs.  So 
the  fisherman  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  thou  hast  wearied  thyself.  The 
baker  replied,  This  is  incumbent  on  me  ;  for  I  have  become  thy  servant, 
and  thy  beneficence  hath  inundated  me.  But  the  fisherman  said  to  him, 
Thou  wast  my  benefactor  in  the  time  of  distress  and  dearness.  And  the 
baker  passed  the  ensuing  night  with  him,  enjoying  good  eating;  and  he 
became  a  faithful  friend  to  the  fisherman.  The  fisherman  informed  his 
wife  of  his  adventure  with  Abdalla  of  the  Sea,  whereat  she  rejoiced,  and 
she  said  to  him,  Conceal  thy  secret,  lest  the  magistrates  tyrannize  over  thee. 
But  he  replied,  If  I  conceal  my  secret  from  all  other  people,  I  will  not 
conceal  it  from  the  baker. 

He  arose  in  the  morning  of  the  following  day,  having  filled  a  basket  with 
fruits  of  all  kinds  in  the  preceding  evening,  and  he  took  it  up  before  sun- 
rise, and  repaired  to  the  sea,  put  it  down  on  the  shore,  and  said,  Where 
art  thou,  O  Abdalla,  O  thou  of  the  sea  ?  And  he  answered  him,  At  thy 
service  ;  and  came  forth  to  him.  He  therefore  presented  to  him  the  fruit, 
and  he  took  it  up  and  descended  with  it,  diving  into  the  sea,  and  was  ab- 
sent a  while  ;  after  which  he  came  forth,  having  with  him  the  basket  full 
of  all  kinds  of  minerals  and  jewels.  So  Abdalla  of  the  Land  put  it  upon 
his  head  and  departed  with  it ;  and  when  he  came  to  the  oven  of  the  baker, 
the  baker  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  I  have  baked  for  thee  forty  cakes, 
and  sent  them  to  thy  house ;  and  now  1  will  bake  bread  of  the  finest  flour, 
and  when  it  is  done,  I  will  convey  it  to  the  house,  and  go  to  bring  thee 
the  vegetables  and  the  meat.  Upon  this  Abdalla  took  for  him  from  the 
basket  three  handfuls,  and  gave  them  to  him,  and  went  to  the  house, 
where  he  put  down  the  basket,  and  took,  of  each  kind  of  jewels,  one  jewel 
of  great  value.  Then  he  repaired  to  the  jewel  market,  and,  stopping  at 
the  shop  of  the  sheikh  of  the  market,  said,  Purchase  of  me  these  jewels. 
He  replied,  Show  them  to  me.  So  he  showed  them  to  him,  and  the 
sheikh  said  to  him,  Hast  thou  any  besides  these  ?  He  answered,  I  have  a 
basket  full.  The  sheikh  snid  to  him.  Where  is  thy  house  ?  He  answered 
him,  In  such  a  quarter.  And  the  sheikh  took  from  him  the  jewels,  and 
said  to  his  servants,  Lay  hold  of  him;  for  he  is  the  thief  who  stole  the 
things  of  the  queen,  the  wife  of  the  sultan.  He  then  ordered  them  to  beat 
him,  and  they  did  so,  and  bound  his  hands  behind  his  back  ;  and  the  sheikh 
arose,  with  all  the  people  of  the  jewel  market,  and  they  began  to  say. 
We  have  taken  the  thief.  Some  of  them  said,  None  stole  the  goods  of 
such  a  one  but  this  villain  ;  and  others  said,  None  stole  all  that  was  in  the 
house  of  such  a  one  but  he ;  and  some  of  them  said  thus,  and  others  said 
thus.  All  the  while  he  was  silent;  he  returned  not  to  any  one  of  them  a 
reply,  nor  did  he  utter  to  him  a  sentence  until  they  stationed  him  before, 

19] 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 


Abdalla  of  the  Laud  carrying  a  basket  of  fruit. 

the  king ;  whereupon  the  sheikh  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  when  the  neck- 
lace of  the  queen  was  stolen,  thou  sentest  and  acquaintedst  us,  and  re- 
quiredst  of  us  the  capture  of  the  offender  ;  and  I  strove  above  the  rest  of 
the  people,  and  have  captured  for  thee  the  offender.  Lo,  here  he  is  be- 
fore thee,  and  these  jewels  we  have  rescued  from  his  hand.  The  king 
therefore  said  to  the  eunuch,  Take  these  minerals  and  show  them  to  the 
queen,  and  say  to  her,  Are  these  thy  goods  that  thou  hast  lost  ?  Accord- 
ingly, the  eunuch  took  them  and  went  in  with  them  before  the  queen  ;  and 
when  she  saw  them,  she  wondered  at  them,  and  she  sent  to  say  to  the 
king,  I  have  found  my  necklace  in  my  place,  and  these  are  not  my  prop- 
erty ;  but  these  jewels  are  better  than  the  jewels  of  my  necklace  ;  there- 
fore act  not  unjustly  to  the  man  ;  and  if  he  will  sell  them,  purchase  them 
of  him  for  thy  daughter,  Umm-alsoud,  that  we  may  put  them  for  her  upon 
a  necklace. 

So  when  the  eunuch  returned,  and  acquainted  the  king  with  that  which 
the  queen  had  said,  he  cursed  the  sheikh  of  the  jewelers,  him  and  his  com- 
492 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 


Atiflh 


&  , 

-V:    z  M£.,    ■ 

:     gjl? 

%■' 


mtsEfr 


Destruction  of  Ad  and  Thamoud. 

pany,  with  the  curse  of  Ad  and  Thamoud  ;*  whereupon  they  said,  O  king 
of  the  age,  we  knew  that  this  man  was  a  poor  fisherman  ;  so  we  deemed 
those  things  too  much  for  him  to  possess,  and  imagined  that  he  had  stolen 
them.  But  he  replied,  O  base  wretches,  do  ye  deem  good  things  too  much 
for  a  believer?  Wherefore  did  ye  not  ask  him?  Perhaps  God  (whose 
name  be  exalted  !)  hath  blessed  him  with  them  in  a  way  he  did  not  reckon 
upon  ;  and  wherefore  do  ye  assert  him  to  be  a  thief,  and  disgrace  him 
among  the  people  ?  Go  forth  !  May  God  not  bless  you  !  They  there- 
fore went  forth  in  a  state  of  fear.  The  king  then  said,  O  man,  may  God 
bless  thee  in  that  which  He  hath  bestowed  on  thee  !  And  thou  hast 
promise  of  indemnity.  But  acquaint  me  with  the  truth.  Whence  came 
to  thee  these  jewels?  For  I  am  a  king,  and  the  like  of  them  exist  not  in 
my  possession.  So  he  answered,  O  king  of  the  age,  I  have  a  basket  full 
of  them  ;  and  the  case  is  thus  and  thus.  And  he  informed  him  of  his  com- 
panionship with  Abdalbi  of  the  Sea,  and  said  to  him,  An  agreement  hath 
been  made  between  me  and  him  that  I  shall  every  day  fill  for  him  the 
basket  with  fruits,  and  he  shall  (ill  it  for  me  with  these  jewels.     The  king 

*  Two  ancient  Arab  tribes,  destroyed  for  their  wickeduess. 

493 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

therefore  said  to  him,  O  man,  this  is  thy  lot ;  but  wealth  requireth  an  ex- 
alted station,  and  I  will  prevent  men's  domineering  over  thee  in  these  days. 
Perhaps,  however,  I  may  be  deposed,  or  may  die,  and  another  may  be  ap- 
pointed in  my  stead,  and  may  slay  thee  on  account  of  his  love  of  worldly 
goods,  and  covetousness.  I  therefore  desire  to  marry  thee  to  my  daugh- 
ter, and  to  make  thee  my  vizier,  and  bequeath  to  thee  the  kingdom  after 
me,  that  no  one  may  covet  thy  possessions  after  my  death.  Then  the  king 
said,  Take  ye  this  man  and  conduct  him  into  the  bath.  So  they  took  him 
and  washed  him,  and  they  clad  him  in  apparel  of  the  apparel  of  kings,  and 
led  him  forth  into  the  presence  of  the  king,  who  thereupon  appointed  him 
vizier  unto  him.  He  sent  also  the  couriers,  and  the  soldiers  of  the  guard, 
and  all  the  wives  of  the  great  men  to  his  house  ;  and  they  clad  his  wife  in 
the  apparel  of  the  wives  of  kings,  clad  her  children  likewise,  and  mounted 
her  in  a  litter ;  and  all  the  wives  of  the  great  men,  and  tlie  troops,  and  the 
couriers,  and  the  soldiers  of  the  guard  walked  before  her,  and  conducted 
her  to  the  king's  palace,  with  the  little  infant  in  her  bosom.  They  brought 
in  her  elder  children  to  the  king,  who  treated  them  with  honor,  took  them 
upon  his  lap,  and  seated  them  by  his  side.  And  tbey  were  nine  male 
children ;  and  the  king  was  destitute  of  male  offspring,  not  having  been 
blessed  with  any  child  except  that  daughter,  whose  name  was  Umm-alsoud. 
And  as  to  the  queen,  she  treated  the  wife  of  Abdalla  of  the  Land  with 
honor,  and  bestowed  favors  upon  her,  and  made  her  vizier  to  her.  The 
king  gave  orders  to  perform  the  ceremony  of  the  contract  of  the  marriage 
of  Abdalla  of  the  Land  to  his  daughter,  and  he  assigned  as  her  dowry  all 
the  jewels  and  minerals  that  he  had,  and  they  commenced  the  festivity; 
the  king  commanding  that  a  proclamation  should  be  made  to  decorate  the 
city,  on  account  of  the  marriage  festivity  of  his  daughter. 

Then,  on  the  following  day,  after  Abdalla  of  the  Land  had  introduced 
himself  to  the  king's  daughter,  the  king  looked  from  the  window,  and  saw 
Abdalla  carrying  upon  his  head  a  basket  full  of  fruits.  So  he  said  to  him, 
What  is  this  that  is  with  thee,  O  my  son-in-law,  and  whither  goest  thou  ? 
He  answered,  To  my  companion,  Abdalla  of  the  Sea.  The  king  said  to  him, 
O  my  son-in-law,  this  is  not  the  time  to  go  to  thy  companion.  But  he  re- 
plied, I  fear  to  be  unfaithful  to  him  with  respect  to  the  time  of  promise; 
for  he  would  reckon  me  a  liar,  and  say  to  me,  Worldly  matters  have  divert- 
ed thee  from  coming  t6  me.  And  the  king  said,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth. 
Go  to  thy  companion.  May  God  aid  thee  !  So  he  walked  through  the 
city,  on  his  way  to  his  companion,  and,  the  people  having  become  ac- 
quainted with  him,  he  heard  them  say,  This  is  the  son-in-law  of  the  king, 
going  to  exchange  the  fruits  for  the  jewels.  And  he  who  was  ignorant  of 
him,  and  knew  him  not,  would  say,  O  man,  for  how  much  is  the  pound  ? 
Come  hither :  sell  to  me.  Whereupon  he  would  answer  him,  Wait  for 
me  until  I  return  to  thee.  And  he  would  not  vex  any  one.  Then  he 
went  and  met  Abdalla  of  the  Sea,  and  gave  him  the  fruits ;  and  Abdalla 
of  the  Sea  gave  him  for  them  jewels  in  exchange.  He  ceased  not  to  do 
thus,  and  every  day  he  passed  by  the  oven  of  the  baker,  and  saw  it  closed. 
He  continued  thus  for  the  space  of  ten  days ;  and  when  he  had  not  seen 
the  baker,  and  saw  his  oven  closed,  he  said  within  himself,  Verily  this  is  a 
wonderful  thing!  Whither  can  the  baker  have  gone?  He  then  asked 
his  neighbor,  saying  to  him,  O  my  brother,  where  is  thy  neighbor  the  baker, 
and  what  hath  God  done  with  him  ?  He  answered,  O  my  master,  he  ia 
494 


ABDALLA  OF  TOE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

sick  ;  he  doth  not  come  forth  from  his  house.  So  he  said  to  him,  Where 
is  his  house  ?  The  man  answered  him,  In  such  a  quarter.  He  therefore 
repaired  thither  and  inquired  for  him  ;  and  when  he  knocked  at  the  door, 
the  baker  looked  from  the  window,  and  saw  his  companion  the  fisherman 
with  a  full  basket  upon  his  head.  So  he  descended  to  him,  and  opened  to 
him  the  door;  and  Abdalla  of  the  Land  threw  himself  upon  him,  and  em- 
braced him,  and  said  to  him,  How  art  thou,  O  my  companion?  For  every- 
day I  pass  by  the  oven  and  see  it  closed.  Then  I  asked  thy  neighbor,  and 
he  informed  me  that  thou  wast  sick.  I  therefore  inquired  for  thy  house, 
that  I  might  see  thee.  The  baker  replied,  May  God  recompense  thee  for 
me  with  every  thing  good !  I  have  no  disease;  but  it  was  told  me  that  the 
king  had  taken  thee,  because  some  of  the  people  lied  to  him,  and  asserted 
that  thou  wast  a  thief;  so  I  feared,  and  closed  the  oven,  and  hid  myself. 
Abdalla  of  the  Land  said,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth.  And  he  informed  him 
of  his  case,  and  of  the  events  that  had  happened  to  him  with  the  king  and 
the  sheikh  of  the  jewel  market,  and  said  to  him,  The  king  hath  married  me 
to  his  daughter,  and  made  me  his  vizier.  He  then  said  to  him,  Take  what 
is  in  this  basket  as  thy  lot,  and  fear  not. 

After  that  he  went  forth  from  him,  having  dispelled  from  him  his  fear, 
and  repaired  to  the  king  with  the  basket  empty.  So  the  king  said  to  him, 
O  my  son-in-law,  it  seemeth  that  thou  hast  not  met  with  thy  companion 
Abdalla  of  the  Sea  this  day.  He  replied,  I  went  to  him,  and  what  he  gave 
me  1  have  given  to  my  companion  the  baker;  for  I  owe  him  kindness. 
The  king  said,  Who  is  this  baker?  He  answered,  He  is  a  man  of  kind 
disposition,  and  such  and  such  events  happened  to  me  with  him  in  the  days 
of  poverty,  and  he  neglected  me  not  any  day,  nor  broke  my  heart.  The 
king  said,  What  is  his  name  ?  He  answered,  His  name  is  Abdalla  the 
Baker,  and  my  name  is  Abdalla  of  the  Land,  and  my  other  companion's 
name  is  Abdalla  of  the  Sea.  LTpon  this  the  king  said,  And  my  name  is 
Abdalla,  and  the  servants  of  God*  are  all  brethren.  Send,  therefore,  to 
thy  companion  the  baker;  bring  him,  that  we  may  make  him  Vizier  of  the 
Left.  Accordingly,  he  sent  to  him ;  and  when  he  came  before  the  king, 
the  king  invested  him  with  the  apparel  of  vizier  and  appointed  him  Vizier 
of  the  Left,  appointing  Abdalla  of  the  Land  Vizier  of  the  Right.  Abdalla 
of  the  Land  continued  in  this  state  a  whole  year,  every  day  taking  the 
basket  full  of  fruits,  and  returning  with  it  full  of  jewels  and  minerals  ;  and 
when  the  fruits  were  exhausted  from  the  gardens,  he  used  to  take  raisins, 
and  almonds,  and  hazel-nuts,  and  walnuts,  and  figs,  and  other  things;  and 
all  that  he  took  to  him  he  accepted  from  him,  and  he  returned  to  him  the 
basket  full  of  jewels,  as  was  his  custom. 

Now  it  happened,  one  day,  that  he  took  the  basket  full  of  dried  fruits,  ac- 
cording to  his  custom,  and  his  companion  received  them  from  him;  after 
which  Abdalla  of  the  Land  sat  upon  the  shore,  and  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  sat 
in  the  water,  near  the  shore,  and  they  proceeded  to  converse  together, 
talking  alternately,  until  they  were  led  to  mention  the  tombs.  Thereupon 
Abdalla  of  the  Sea  said,  O  my  brother,  they  say  that  the  Prophet  (may 
God  favor  and  preserve  him  !)  is  buried  among  you  in  the  land.  Dost  thou, 
then,  know  his  tomb  ?  He  answered,  Yes.  He  asked,  In  what  place  ? 
He  answered,  In  a  city  called  Teybeh.f     He  said,  And  do  men,  the  people 

*  Abdalla  signifies  "  Servant  of  God."  t  One  of  the  names  of  the  city  of  Medina 

495 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 


Abdalla  of  the  Land  and  Abdalla  of  the  Sea. 


of  the  land,  visit  his  tomb  ?  He  answered,  Yes.  And  Abdalla  of  the  Sea 
said,  May  you  derive  enjoyment,  O  people  of  the  land,  from  visiting  this 
generous,  benign,  merciful  Prophet,  whose  visitor  meriteth  his  interces- 
sion !  And  hast  thou  visited  him,  O  my  brother  1  He  answered.  No;  for 
I  was  a  poor  man,  and  found  not  what  I  should  expend  on  the  way,  and  I 
have  not  been  independent  save  from  the  time  when  I  first  knew  thee  aud 
thou  conferredst  upon  me  this  prosperity.  But  the  visiting  him,  after  I 
shall  have  performed  the  pilgrimage  to  the  Sacred  House  of  God,  hath  be- 
come incumbent  on  me  ;  and  nothing  hath  prevented  my  doing  that  but  my 
affection  for  thee ;  for  I  can  not  separate  myself  from  thee  for  one  day. 
Upon  this  he  of  the  sea  said  to  him  of  the  land,  And  dost  thou  prefer  thy 
affection  for  me  above  visiting  the  tomb  of  Mohammed  (may  God  favor  and 
preserve  him  !),  who  will  intercede  for  thee  on  the  day  of  appearance  be- 
fore God,  and  will  save  thee  from  the  fire,  and  by  means  of  whose  inter- 
cession thou  wilt  enter  Paradise ;  and  for  the  sake  of  the  love  of  the  world 
dost  thou  neglect  to  visit  the  tomb  of  the  Prophet  Mohammed,  may  God 
favor  and  preserve  him  ?  He  answered,  No,  by  Allah;  verily  the  visita- 
tion of  him  is  preferred  by  me  above  every  thing  else  ;  but  I  desire  of  thee 
permission  that  I  may  visit  him  this  year.  He  replied,  I  give  thee  permis- 
sion to  visit  him  ;  and  when  thou  standest  by  his  tomb,  give  him  my  saluta- 
tion. I  have  also  a  deposit ;  so  enter  the  sea  with  me,  that  I  may  take 
thee  to  my  city,  and  conduct  thee  into  my  house,  and  entertain  thee,  and 
give  thee  the  deposit,  in  order  that  thou  mayest  put  it  upon  the  grave  of 
the  Prophet  (may  God  favor  and  preserve  him  !) ;  and  say  thou  to  him,  O 
Apostle  of  God,  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  saluteth  thee,  and  hath  given  to  thee 
this  present,  and  he  beggeth  thine  intercession  to  save  him  from  the  fire. 
So  Abdalla  of  the  Land  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  thou  wast  created  in 
the  water,  and  the  water  is  thine  abode,  and  it  injureth  thee  not;  then,  if 
thou  come  forth  from  it  to  the  land,  will  injury  betide  thee  ?  He  answer- 
ed, Yes  ;  my  body  will  dry  up,  and  the  breezes  of  the  land  will  blow  upon 
me,  and  I  shall  die.  And  T,  in  like  manner,  replied  Abdalla  of  the  Land, 
was  created  on  the  land,  and  the  land  is  my  abode  ;  and  if  I  enter  the  sea, 
the  water  will  enter  into  my  body  and  suffocate  me,  and  I  shall  die.  But 
the  other  said  to  him,  Fear  not  that ;  for  I  will  bring  thee  an  ointment, 
with  which  thou  shalt  anoint  thy  body,  aud  the  water  will  not  injure  thee, 
496 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

even  if  thou  pass  the  remainder  of  thy  life  going  about  in  the  sea  ;  and 
thou  shalt  sleep  and  arise  in  the  sea,  and  naught  will  injure  thee.  So  lie 
replied,  If  the  case  be  so,  no  harm.  Bring  me  the  ointment,  that  I  may- 
try  it. 

Abdalla  of  the  Sea  said,  Be  it  so.  And  lie  took  the  basket  and  descended 
into  the  sea,  and  was  absent  a  little  while.  He  then  returned,  having  with 
him  some  fat  like  the  fat  of  beef,  the  color  of  which  was  yellow,  like  gold, 
and  its  scent  was  sweet ;  and  Abdalla  of  the  Land  said  to  him,  What  is  this, 
O  my  brother  ?  He  answered  him,  This  is  the  fat  of  the  liver  of  a  kind  of 
fish,  called  the  dendan.  It  is  the  greatest  of  all  kinds  of  fish,  and  the  most 
violent  of  our  enemies,  and  its  form  is  larger  than  that  of  any  beast  of  the 
land  existing  among  you ;  if  it  saw  the  camel  or  the  elephant,  it  would 
SAvallow  it.  Abdalla  of  the  Land  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  and  what  doth 
this  unlucky  creature  eat  ?  He  answered  him.  It  eateth  of  the  beasts  of 
the  sea.  Hast  thou  not  heard  that  it  is  said  in  the  proverb,  Like  the  fish 
of  the  sea,  the  strong  eateth  the  weak  ?  He  replied,  Thou  hast  spoken 
truth.  But  have  you  (he  added)  many  of  these  dendans  among  you  in  the 
sea?  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  answered,  Among  us  are  such  as  none  can  num- 
ber except  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  !  Then  said  Abdalla  of  the  Land, 
Verily  I  fear  that,  if  I  descend  with  thee,  this  kind  of  creature  may  meet 
me  and  devour  me.  But  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  replied,  Fear  not ;  for  when 
it  seeth  thee,  it  will  know  that  thou  art  a  son  of  Adam,  and  it  will  fear  thee, 
and  flee.  It  feareth  not  aught  in  the  sea  as  it  feareth  a  son  of  Adam ;  for 
when  it  hath  eaten  a  son  of  Adam,  it  dieth  instantly,  because  the  fat  of  a 
son  of  Adam  is  a  deadly  poison  to  this  kind  of  creature.  And  we  collect 
not  the  fat  of  its  liver  save  in  consequence  of  a  son  of  Adam's  falling  into 
the  sea  and  being  drowned ;  for  his  form  becometh  altered,  and  often  his 
flesh  is  torn,  and  the  dendan  eateth  it,  imagining  it  to  be  of  some  of  the  ani- 
mals of  the  sea,  and  dieth  ;  then  we  happen  to  light  on  it  dead,  and  take 
the  fat  of  its  liver,  with  which  we  anoint  our  bodies,  and  we  go  about  in  the 
sea.  In  whatever  place  is  a  son  of  Adam,  if  there  be  in  that  place  a  hund- 
red, or  two  hundred,  or  a  thousand  or  more  of  that  kind  of  creature,  and 
they  hear  the  cry  of  the  son  of  Adam,  all  of  them  die  immediately  at  his 
crying  once,  and  not  one  of  them  can  move  from  its  place. 

Upon  this  Abdalla  of  the  Land  said,  I  place  my  reliance  upon  God.  He 
then  pulled  off  the  clothes  that  were  upon  him,  and,  having  dug  a  hole  on 
the  shore,  he  buried  his  clothes  ;  after  which  he  anointed  his  person  from 
the  parting  of  his  hair  to  his  feet  with  this  ointment.  Then  he  descended 
into  the  water,  and  dived ;  and  he  opened  his  eyes,  and  the  water  injured 
him  not.  He  walked  to  the  right  and  left;  and  if  he  would,  he  ascended  ; 
and  if  he  would,  he  descended  to  the  bottom.  He  saw  the  water  of  the 
sea  forming,  as  it  were,  a  tent  over  him,  and  it  injured  him  not.  And  Ab- 
dalla of  the  Sea  said  to  him,  What  seest  thou,  O  my  brother?  He  an- 
swered him,  I  see  what  is  good,  O  my  brother,  and  thou  hast  spoken  truth 
in  that  which  thou  hast  said  ;  for  the  water  doth  not  injure  me.  Then 
Abdalla  of  the  Sea  said  to  him.  Follow  me.  So  he  followed  him  ;  and  they 
ceased  not  to  walk  from  place  to  place,  while  he  saw  before  him,  and  on  his 
right  and  on  his  left,  mountains  of  water,  and  he  diverted  himself  with  the 
view  of  them  and  with  the  view  of  the  different  kinds  of  fish  that  were 
sporting  in  the  sea,  some  great  and  some  small.  Among  them  were  some 
resembling  buffaloes,  and  some  resembling  oxen,  and  some  resembling  dogs, 

497 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 


The  two  Abdallas  in  the  sea. 


and  some  resembling  human  beings ;  and  every  kind  to  which  they  drew 
near  fled  at  seeing  Abdalla  of  the  Land.  He  therefore  said  to  him  of  the 
sea,  O  my  brother,  wherefore  do  I  see  every  kind  to  which  we  draw  near 
flee  from  us  ?  And  he  answered  him,  Through  fear  of  thee  ;  for  every 
thing  that  God  hath  created  feareth  the  sou  of  Adam.  He  ceased  not  to 
divert  himself  with  the  sight  of  the  wonders  of  the  sea  until  they  came  to 
a  high  mountain,  and  Abdalla  of  the  Land  walked  by  the  side  of  that 
mountain,  and  suddenly  he  heard  a  great  cry ;  so  he  looked  aside,  and  he 
saw  something  black  descending  upon  him  from  that  mountain,  and  it  was 
as  large  as  a  camel,  or  larger,  and  cried  out.  He  therefore  said  to  his  com- 
panion, What  is  this,  O  my  brother  ?  He  answered  him,  This  is  the  den- 
dan  :  it  is  descending  in  pursuit  of  me,  desiring  to  devour  me ;  so  cry  out 
at  it,  O  my  brother,  before  it  reacheth  us ;  for  otherwise  it  will  seize  me 
and  devour  me.  Accordingly,  Abdalla  of  the  Land  cried  out  at  it,  and  lo, 
it  fell  down  dead;  and  when  he  saw  it  dead,  he  said,  Extolled  be  the  per- 
fection of  God,  and  his  praise !  I  struck  it  not  with  a  sword,  nor  with  a 
knife  !  How  is  it  that,  with  the  enormity  of  this  creature,  it  could  not  bear 
my  cry,  but  died  ?  But  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  said  to  him,  Wouder  not;  for, 
by  Allah,  O  my  brother,  were  there  a  thousand  or  two  thousand  of  this 
kind,  they  would  not  be  able  to  endure  the  cry  of  a  son  of  Adam. 

They  then  walked  to  a  city,  and  they  saw  its  inhabitants  to  be  all  dam- 
sels, no  males  being  among  them.     So  Abdalla  of  the  Land  said,  O  my 
brother,  what  is  this  city,  and  what  are  these  damsels  ?     And  his  com- 
498 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OV   THE  SEA. 

panion  answered  him,  This  is  the  city  of  the  damsels ;  for  its  inhabitants 
are  of  the  damsels  of  the  sea.  The  king  of  the  sea  banisheth  them  to  this 
city.  Every  one  against  whom  he  is  incensed,  of  the  damsels  of  the  sea, 
he  sendetb  hither,  and  she  can  not  come  forth  from  it ;  for  if  she  came 
forth  from  it,  any  of  the  beasts  of  the  sea  that  saw  her  would  devour  her. 
But  in  other  cities  than  this  there  are  men  and  women.  Then  Abdalla 
of  the  Land  proceeded  to  divert  himself  with  the  view  of  these  damsels, 
and  saw  that  they  had  faces  like  moons,  and  hair  like  the  hair  of  women  ; 
but  they  had  arms  and  legs  in  the  fore  part  of  the  body,  and  tails  like  the 
tails  of  fishes.  His  companion,  having  diverted  him  with  the  view  of  the 
inhabitants  of  this  city,  went  forth  with  him,  and  walked  before  him  to 
another  city,  which  he  saw  to  be  filled  with  people,  females  and  males, 
whose  forms  were  like  the  forms  of  the  damsels  before  mentioned ;  and 
they  had  tails;  but  they  had  no  selling  nor  buying  like  the  people  of  the 
land.  And  he  said,  O  my  brother,  how  do  they  manage  their  marriages  ? 
His  companion  answered  him,  They  do  not  all  marry  ;  for  we  are  not  all 
of  one  religion  :  among  us  are  Mohammedans,  Unitarians  ;  and  among  us 
are  Christians,  and  Jews,  and  other  sects  ;  and  those  of  us  who  marry  are 
chiefly  the  Mohammedans.  Whoso  desireth  to  marry,  they  impose  upon 
him,  as  a  dowry,  the  gift  of  a  certain  number  of  different  kinds  of  fish, 
which  he  catcheth ;  as  many  as  a  thousand,  or  two  thousand,  or  more  or 
less,  according  to  the  agreement  made  between  him  and  the  father  of  the 
wife.  And  when  he  bringeth  what  is  demanded,  the  family  of  the  bride- 
groom and  the  family  of  the  bride  assemble  and  eat  the  banquet.  Then 
they  introduce  him  to  his  wife.  And  after  that  he  catcheth  fish  and  feed- 
eth  her;  or,  if  he  be  unable,  she  catcheth  fish  and  feedeth  him.  Abdalla 
of  the  Sea  then  took  him  to  another  city,  and  after  that  to  another,  and  so 
on  until  he  had  diverted  him  with  the  sight  of  eighty  cities ;  and  he  saw 
the  inhabitants  of  each  city  to  be  unlike  the  inhabitants  of  another  city; 
and  he  said,  O  my  brother,  are  there  any  more  cities  in  the  sea  ?  His 
companion  said,  And  what  hast  thou  seen  of  the  cities  of  the  sea  and  its 
wonders?  By  the  generous,  benign,  merciful  Prophet,  were  I  to  divert 
thee  for  a  thousand  years,  every  day  with  the  sight  of  a  thousand  cities, 
and  show  thee  in  every  city  a  thousand  wonders,  I  should  not  show  thee  a 
twenty-fourth  part  of  the  cities  of  the  sea  and  its  wonders.  I  have  only 
diverted  thee  with  the  view  of  our  own  region  and  our  land,  and  nothing 
more.  So  Abdalla  of  the  Land  said  to  him,  O  my  brother,  since  the  case 
is  so,  enough  for  me  is  that  with  the  sight  of  which  I  have  diverted  my- 
self; for  I  have  become  weary  of  eating  fish,  and  have  spent  eighty  days  in 
thy  company,  during  which  thou  hast  not  fed  me,  morning  and  evening, 
with  aught  but  raw  fish,  neither  broiled  nor  cooked  in  any  way.  But  thou 
hast  not  diverted  me  with  a  sight  of  thy  city.  He  replied,  As  to  my  city, 
we  have  gone  a  considerable  distance  beyond  it,  and  it  is  near  the  shore 
from  which  we  came. 

Then  he  returned  with  him  to  his  city  ;  and  when  he  came  to  it,  he  said 
to  him,  This  is  my  city.  And  he  saw  it  to  be  a  small  city  in  comparison 
with  those  with  the  sight  of  which  he  had  diverted  himself.  He  entered 
the  city,  accompanied  by  Abdalla  of  the  Sea,  who  proceeded  until  he  came 
to  a  cavern,  when  he  said  to  him,  This  is  my  house  ;  and  all  the  houses  of 
this  city  are  likewise  caverns,  great  and  small,  in  the  mountains,  as  arc  also 
all  those  of  all  the  cities  of  the  sea.     For  every  one  who  desireth  to  make 

499 


ABDALLA.  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

for  himself  a  house  goeth  to  the  king,  and  saith  to  him,  I  desire  to  make  me 
a  house  in  such  a  place.  Thereupon  the  king  sendeth  with  him  a  tribe  of 
fish  called  the  peckers,  assigning  as  their  wages  a  certain  quantity  of  fish  ; 
and  they  have  beaks  which  crumble  rock.  They  come  to  the  mountain 
that  the  intended  owner  of  the  house  hath  chosen,  and  excavate  in  it  the 
house  with  their  beaks  ;  and  the  owner  of  the  house  catcheth  fish  for  them, 
and  putteth  them  into  their  mouths,  until  the  cavern  is  completed,  when 
they  depart,  and  the  owner  of  the  house  taketh  up  his  abode  in  it.  All  the 
people  of  the  sea  are  in  this  state ;  they  transact  not  affairs  of  commerce 
one  with  another,  nor  do  they  serve  one  another  save  by  means  of  fish  ;  and 
their  food  is  fish.     Then  he  said  to  him,  Enter.     So  he  entered.     And 


Abdalla  of  the  Land  in  the  house  of  Abdalla  of  the  Sea. 


Abdalla  of  the  Sea  said,  O  my  daughter!  And  lo,  his  daughter  advanced 
to  him.  She  had  a  face  round  like  the  moon,  and  long  hair,  and  heavy 
hips,  and  black-edged  eyes,  and  a  slender  waist;  but  she  had  a  tail.  And 
when  she  saw  Abdalla  of  the  Land  with  her  father,  she  said  to  him,  O  my 
father,  what  is  this  tailless  creature  whom  thou  hast  brought  with  thee  ? 
He  answered  her,  O  my  daughter,  this  is  my  companion  of  the  land,  from 
whom  I  used  to  bring  thee  the  fruits  of  the  land.  Come  hither;  salute 
500 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

him.  She  therefore  advanced  and  saluted  him,  with  an  eloquent  tongue 
and  fluent  speech  ;  and  her  father  said  to  her,  Bring  some  food  for  our 
guest,  by  whose  arrival  a  blessing  hath  betided  us.  And  she  brought  him 
two  large  fishes,  each  of  them  like  a  lamb ;  and  he  said  to  him,  Eat.  So 
he  ate  in  spite  of  himself,  by  reason  of  his  hunger;  for  he  was  weary  of 
eating  fish,  and  they  had  nothing  else.  And  but  a  short  time  had  elapsed 
when  the  wife  of  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  approached.  She  was  of  beautiful 
form,  and  with  her  were  two  children,  each  child  having  in  his  hand  a 
young  fish,  of  which  he  was  craunching  bits  as  a  mau  crauncheth  bits  of  a 
cucumber.  And  when  she  saw  Abdalla  of  the  Land  with  her  husband,  she 
said,  What  is  this  tailless  creature  ?  The  two  children  also  advanced  with 
their  sister  and  their  mother,  and  they  looked  at  Abdalla  of  the  Land,  and 
said,  Yea,  by  Allah ;  verily  he  is  tailless!  And  they  laughed  at  him.  So 
Abdalla  of  the  Land  said  to  his  companion,  O  my  brother,  hast  thou  brought 
me  to  make  me  a  laughing-stock  to  thy  children  and  thy  wife  ?  Abdalla 
of  the  Sea  answered  him,  Pardon,  O  my  brother;  for  he  who  hath  no  tail 
existeth  not  among  us;  and  when  one  without  a  tail  is  found,  the  sultan 
taketh  him  to  laugh  at  him.  But,  O  my  brother,  be  not  displeased  with 
these  young  children  and  the  woman,  since  their  intellects  are  defective. 
Then  he  cried  out  at  his  family,  and  said  to  them,  Be  ye  silent !  So  they 
feared,  and  were  silent;  and  he  proceeded  to  appease  his  mind. 

And  while  he  was  conversing  with  him,  lo,  ten  persons,  great,  strong,  and 
stout,  advanced  to  him,  and  said,  O  Abdalla,  it  hath  been  told  to  the  king 
that  thou  hast  with  thee  a  tailless  creature,  of  the  tailless  creatures  of  the 
land.  So  he  replied,  Yes  ;  and  he  is  this  man  ;  for  he  is  my  companion  : 
he  hath  come  to  me  as  a  guest,  and  I  desire  to  take  him  back  to  the  land. 
But  they  said  to  him,  We  can  not  go  save  with  him  ;  and  if  thou  desire  to 
say  aught,  arise  and  take  him,  and  come  with  him  before  the  king,  and  what 
thou  sayest  to  us,  say  to  the  king.  Therefore  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  said  to 
him,  O  my  brother,  the  excuse  is  manifest,  and  it  is  impossible  for  us  to 
disobey  the  king;  but  go  with  me  to  the  king,  and  I  will  endeavor  to 
liberate  thee  from  him,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God.  Fear  not;  for  when  he 
seeth  thee,  he  will  know  that  thou  art  of  the  children  of  the  land ;  and  when 
he  knoweth  that  thou  art  of  the  land,  he  will  without  doubt  treat  thee  with 
honor,  and  restore  thee  to  the  land.  So  Abdalla  of  the  Land  replied,  It  is 
thine  to  determine  ;  and  I  will  place  my  dependence  upon  God,  and  go  with 
thee.  He  then  took  him  and  proceeded  with  him  until  he  came  to  the 
king;  and  when  the  king  saw  him,  he  laughed,  and  said,  Welcome  to  the 
tailless  !  And  every  one  who  was  around  the  king  began  to  laugh  at  him, 
and  to  say,  Yea,  by  Allah  ;  verily  he  is  tailless  !  Then  Abdalla  of  the  Sea 
advanced  to  the  king,  and  acquainted  him  with  his  circumstances,  and  said 
to  him,  This  is  of  the  children  of  the  land,  and  he  is  my  companion,  and  he 
can  not  live  among  us  ;  for  he  loveth  not  the  eating  of  fish  unless  it  be  fried 
or  otherwise  cooked ;  and  I  desire  that  thou  give  me  permission  to  restore 
him  to  the  land.  The  king  therefore  replied,  Since  the  case  is  so,  and  he 
can  not  live  among  us,  I  give  thee  permission  to  restore  him  to  his  place 
after  entertainment.  Then  the  king  said,  Bring  to  him  the  banquet.  And 
they  brought  him  fish  of  various  shapes  and  colors,  and  he  ate  in  obedience 
to  the  command  of  the  king;  after  which  the  king  said  to  him,  Demand  of 
me  what  thou  wilt.  And  Abdalla  of  the  Land  replied,  I  demand  of  thee 
that  thou  give  me  jewels.     So  he  said,  Take  ye  him  to  the  jewel-house, 

501 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 


Wonders  of  the  sea. 


and  let  him  select  what  he  requireth.  Accordingly,  his  companion  took 
him  to  the  jewel-house,  and  he  selected  as  many  as  he  desired.  He  then 
returned  with  him  to  his  city,  and,  producing  to  him  a  purse,  he  said  to 
him,  Take  this  as  a  deposit,  and  convey  it  to  the  tomb  of  the  Prophet: 
may  God  favor  and  preserve  him  !  And  he  took  it,  not  knowing  what 
was  in  it. 

Then  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  went  forth  with  him  to  conduct  him  to  the 
land  ;  and  he  saw,  in  his  way,  people  engaged  in  singing  and  festivity,  and 
a  table  of  fish  spread ;  and  the  people  were  eating  and  singing,  and  in  a 
state  of  great  rejoicing.  So  he  said  to  Abdalla  of  the  Sea,  Wherefore  are 
these  people  in  a  state  of  great  rejoicing?  Is  a  wedding  being  celebrated 
among  them  ?  And  he  of  the  sea  answered,  There  is  no  wedding  being 
celebrated  among  them  ;  but  a  person  among  them  is  dead.  Abd;illa  of  the 
Land  therefore  said  to  him,  Do  ye,  when  a  person  dieth  among  you,  rejoice 
for  him,  and  sing  and  eat?  His  companion  answered,  Yes.  And  ye,  O 
people  of  the  land,  he  added,  what  do  ye  ?  Abdalla  of  the  Land  answered, 
When  a  person  among  us  dieth,  we  mourn  for  him  and  weep,  and  the 
women  slap  their  faces,  and  rend  the  bosoms  of  their  garments  in  grief  for 
him  who  is  dead.  And  upon  this  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  stared  at  Abdalla  of 
the  Land,  and  said,  Give  me  the  deposit.  So  he  gave  it  to  him.  Then 
Abdalla  of  the  Sea  took  him  forth  to  the  land,  and  said  to  him,  I  have  broken 
off  my  companionship  with  thee,  and  my  friendship  for  thee,  and  after  this 
dav  thou  shalt  not  see  me,  nor  will  I  see  thee.  Wherefore,  said  Abdalla 
502 


ABDALLA  OF  THE  LAND  AND  ABDALLA  OF  THE  SEA. 

of  the  Land,  are  these  words  ?  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  said,  Are  ye  not,  O 
people  of  the  land,  a  deposit  of  God  ?  Yes,  answered  he  of  the  land.  And 
the  other  rejoined,  Then  how  is  it  that  it  is  not  agreeable  to  you  that  God 
should  take  his  deposit,  but,  on  the  contrary,  ye  weep  for  it?  And  how 
should  I  give  thee  the  deposit  for  the  Prophet  (may  God  favor  and  preserve 
him  !),  seeing  that  ye,  when  the  new-born  child  cometh  to  you,  rejoice  in 
it,  though  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  putteth  into  it  the  soul  as  a  de- 
posit? Then,  when  He  taketh  that  soul,  how  is  it  that  it  grieveth  you, 
and  ye  weep  and  mourn  ?  Such  being  the  case,  we  have  no  need  of  your 
companionship.     He  then  left  him,  and  went  back  to  the  sea. 

So  upon  this  Abdalla  of  the  Land  put  on  his  clothes,  and  took  his  jewels, 
and  repaired  to  the  king,  who  met  him  with  a  longing  desire  to  see  him, 
and  rejoiced  at  his  return,  and  said  to  him,  How  art  thou,  O  my  son-in-law, 
and  what  hath  been  the  cause  of  thine  absence  from  me  during  this  period  1 
He  therefore  told  him  his  story,  and  what  he  had  seen  of  the  wonders  in 
the  sea;  whereat  the  king  wondered.  He  acquainted  him  also  with  that 
which  Abdalla  of  the  Sea  had  said ;  and  he  replied,  Thou  art  the  person 
who  erred,  in  thy  giving  this  information.  Abdalla  of  the  Land  persevered 
for  a  length  of  time  in  going  to  the  shore  of  the  sea,  and  calling  out  to  Ab- 
dalla of  the  Sea  ;  but  he  answered  him  not,  nor  came  to  him.  So  Abdalla 
of  the  Land  relinquished  the  hope  of  seeing  him  again ;  and  he  and  the 
king  his  father-in-law,  and  their  family,  resided  in  the  most  happy  state, 
and  in  the  practice  of  good  deeds,  until  they  were  visited  by  the  terminator 
of  delights  and  the  separator  of  companions,  and  they  all  died.  Extolled 
be  the  perfection  of  the  Living  who  dieth  not,  and  to  whom  belongeth  the 
dominion  that  is  apparent  and  the  dominion  that  is  hidden,  and  who  is  able 
to  accomplish  every  thing,  and  is  gracious  and  knowing  with  respect  to  his 
servants ! 


503 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


COMMENCING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  NINE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY-SECOND 
NIGHT,  AND  ENDING  WITH  PART  OF  THE  NINE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY- 
NINTH. 

THE  STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 

Casib,  the  Lord  of  Egypt,  had  a  son  named  Ibrahim,  than  whom  there 
was  none  more  beautiful ;  and,  by  reason  of  his  fear  for  him,  he  would  not 
allow  him  to  go  out,  save  to  the  Friday  prayers.  Now  he  passed,  going 
forth  from  the  Friday  prayers,  by  an  old  man,  with  whom  were  many  books, 
and  he  alighted  from  his  horse  and  seated  himself  by  him,  and,  turning  over 
the  books  and  examining  them,  he  saw  in  one  of  them  a  picture  of  a  woman 
which  almost  spoke  :  none  more  beautiful  than  she  had  been  seen  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth.  Thereuoon  his  reason  was  captivated,  and  his  mind 
504 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 

was  stupefied,  and  he  said  to  the  man,  O  sheikh,  sell  me  this  picture.  And 
he  kissed  the  ground  before  him,  and  replied,  O  my  lord,  without  price. 
So  he  gave  him  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold,  and  took  the  book  in  which  was 
this  picture. ;  and  he  occupied  himself  with  looking  at  it,  and  weeping,  night 
and  day.  He  abstained  from  food,  and  drink,  and  sleep,  and  he  said  within 
himself,  Had  I  asked  the  bookseller  respecting  the  painter  of  this  picture, 
who  he  was,  probably  he  had  informed  me  ;  and  if  the  original  of  it  be 
living,  I  might  gain  access  to  her ;  and  if  it  be  a  picture  not  representing 
any  particular  person,  I  would  cease  to  be  enamored  of  it,  and  not  torment 
myself  on  account  of  a  thing  that  hath  no  real  existence.  So  when  the 
next  Friday  arrived,  he  passed  by  the  bookseller,  who  rose  up  to  him,  and 
he  said  to  him,  O  uncle,  inform  me  who  painted  this  picture.  He  replied, 
O  my  lord,  a  man  of  the  inhabitants  of  Bagdad,  named  Aboulcasim  Sanda- 
lani,  who  resideth  in  a  quarter  called  the  Quarter  of  Elkark,  painted  it, 
and  I  know  not  whose  portrait  it  is.  The  youth  therefore  arose  and  left 
him,  and  he  acquainted  not  any  one  of  the  people  of  the  empire  with  his 
state. 

He  performed  the  Friday  prayers  and  returned  to  the  palace,  and, 
taking  a  leathern  bag,  he  filled  it  with  jewels  and  gold,  and  the  value  of  the 
jewels  was  thirty  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  He  then  waited  until  the 
morning,'' and  went  forth,  not  having  informed  any  one;  and  he  overtook  a 
caravan,  and  saw  a  Bedouin,  and  said  to  him,  O  uncle,  what  distance  is  be- 
tween me  and  Bagdad  ?  He  replied,  O  my  son,  where  art  thou,  and 
where  is  Bagdad  ?     Verily  between  thee  and  it  is  a  space  of  two  mouths' 


)MM 

?., 

m 

■ 

-\ 

t£=z--. 

1 1  j 

Vol.  II.—  V 


luialiiui  accostniL'  the  Bedouin. 


505 


STORY  Or    IBRAHIM  AND  GEAIILA. 

journey.  And  the  youth  said  to  him,  O  uncle.,  if  thou  wilt  conduct  me  to 
Bagdad,  I  will  give  thee  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  and  this  mare  that  is  be- 
neath me,  the  value  of  which  is  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  Upon  this  the 
Bedouin  replied,  God  is  witness  of  what  we  say.  But  thou  shalt  not  lodge 
this  night  save  with  me.  And  the  young  man  assented  to  that  which  he 
said,  and  passed  the  night  with  him:  and  when  daybreak  appeared,  the 
Bedouin  took  him,  and  proceeded  with  him  quickly  by  a  near  way,  in 
eagerness  for  that  mare  which  he  had  promised  to  give  him.  They  ceased 
not  to  journey  on  until  they  arrived  at  the  walls  of  Bagdad,  when  the  Bed- 
ouin said  to  him,  Praise  be  to  God  for  safety  !  O  my  master,  this  is  Bag- 
dad. So  the  young  man  rejoiced  exceedingly,  and  he  alighted  from  the 
mare  and  gave  her  to  the  Bedouin,  her  and  the  hundred  pieces  of  gold. 

He  then  took  the  leathern  bag  and  walked  on,  inquiring  for  the  quarter 
of  Elkark,  and  for  the  place  of  abode  of  the  merchants,  and  destiny  drove 
him  to  a  by-street  in  which  were  ten  chambers,  five  facing  five,  and  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  street  was  an  entrance  with  two  folding-doors,  and  with 
a  ring  of  silver.  At  this  entrance  were  two  benches  of  marble,  spread 
with  the  best  of  furniture,  and  upon  one  of  them  was  sitting  a  man  of 
reverend  appearance,  of  handsome  form,  and  clad  in  sumptuous  apparel, 
before  whom  were  five  mamlouks  like  moons.  When  the  young  man 
saw  this,  he  knew  the  indication  which  the  bookseller  had  mentioned  to 
him;  and  he  saluted  the  man,  who  returned  his  salutation,  and  welcomed 
him,  and  seated  him,  and  asked  him  respecting  his  state.  So  the  young 
man  said  to  him,  I  am  a  stranger,  and  I  desire  of  thy  beneficence  that  thou 
wouldst  see  for  me,  in  this  street,  a  house  in  which  I  may  reside.  And 
the  man  called  out,  saying,  O  Gazala  !  whereupon  a  slave  girl  came  forth 
to  him,  and  said,  At  thy  service,  O  my  master!  And  he  said,  Take  with 
thee  some  servants,  and  go  ye  to  a  chamber  and  clean  it,  and  spread  fur- 
niture in  it,  and  put  in  it  ail  that  is  requisite,  of  vessels  and  other  things,  for 
the  sake  of  this  young  man,  the  beautiful  in  form.  Accordingly,  the  slave 
girl  went  forth  and  did  as  he  had  ordered  her;  after  which  the  sheikh  took 
him  and  showed  him  the  dwelling;  and  the  young  man  said  to  him,  O  my 
master,  how  much  is  the  rent  of  this  dwelling  ?  He  answered  him,  O 
comely-faced,  I  will  not  receive  from  thee  rent  as  long  as  thou  remainest 
in  it.  The  young  man  therefore  thanked  him  for  that.  Then  the  sheikh 
called  another  slave  girl,  and  there  came  forth  a  slave  girl  like  the  sun,  and 
he  said  to  her,  Bring  the  apparatus  for  chess.  So  she  brought  it,  and  a 
mamlouk  spread  the  chess-table,  and  the  sheikh  said  to  the  young  man, 
Wilt  thou  play  with  me  ?  He  answered,  Yes.  And  he  played  with  him 
several  times,  and  the  young  man  beat  him.  He  therefore  said,  Thou  hast 
done  well,  O  young  man,  and  thy  qualities  are  perfect.  By  Allah,  there 
is  not  in  Bagdad  the  person  who  can  beat  me,  and  thou  hast  beaten  me  ! 

And  after  they  had  prepared -the  dwelling  with  the  furniture  and  every 
thing  else  that  was  requisite,  the  sheikh  delivered  to  him  the  keys,  and 
said  to  him,  O  my  master,  wilt  thou  not  enter  my  abode  and  eat  of  my 
bread,  that  we  may  be  honored  by  thee  ?  And  the  young  man  assented 
to  this,  and  went  with  him ;  and  when  they  came  to  the  house,  he  beheld 
a  handsome,  beautiful  house,  decorated  with  gold,  and  in  it  were  all  kinds 
of  pictures,  and  varieties  of  furniture  and  other  things,  such  as  the  tongue 
can  not  describe.  The  sheikh  then  complimented  him,  and  gave  orders  to 
bring  the  food;  whereupon  they  brought  a  table  of  the  manufacture  of 
506 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 

Sana  of  Arabia  Felix,  and  it  was  put,  and  they  brought  extraordinary  dishes 
of  food,  than  which  there  existed  none  more  excellent,  nor  any  more  deli- 
cious. So  the  young  man  ate  until  he  was  satisfied,  and  washed  his  hands  ; 
and  he  proceeded  to  look  at  the  house  and  the  furniture.  And  after  that 
he  looked  for  the  leathern  bag  that  was  with  him,  and  saw  it  not.  So  he 
said,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Qrreat!  I 
have  eaten  a  morsel  worth  a  piece  of  silver  or  two  pieces  of  silver,  and 
there  hath  gone  from  me  a  leathern  bag  containing  thirty  thousand  pieces 
of  gold.  But  I  seek  aid  of  God.  Then  he  was  silent,  and  was  unable  to 
speak ;  and  the  sheikh  again  caused  the  apparatus  for  chess  to  be  brought 
forward,  and  said  to  the  young  man,  Wilt  thou  play  with  me  ?  He  an- 
swered, Yes,  and  played,  and  the  sheikh  beat  him  ;  whereupon  the  young 
man  said,  Thou  hast  done  well  :  and  he  gave  over  playing,  and  arose.  So 
the  sheikh  said  to  him,  What  aileth  thee,  O  young  man  !  He  answered, 
I  desire  the  leathern  bag.  And  upon  this  the  sheikh  arose  and  brought 
it  out  to  him,  and  said,  Lo,  here  it  is,  O  my  master.  Wilt  thou  resume 
the  playing  with  me  .'  He  answered,  Yes.  And  he  played  with  him, 
and  the  young  man  beat  him.  The  man  therefore  said,  When  thy  mind 
was  occupied  with  thinking  of  the  leathern  bag,  I  beat  thee  ;  and  when  I 
had  brought  it  to  thee,  thou  beatest  me.  Then  he  said  to  him,  O  my  son, 
inform  me  from  what  country  thou  art.  So  he  answered,  From  Egypt. 
And  the  sheikh  said  to  him,  And  what  is  the  reason  of  thjr  coming  to  Bag- 
dad ?  He  therefore  produced  to  him  the  picture,  and  said,  Know,  O  uncle, 
that  I  am  the  son  of  Casib,  the  Lord  of  Egypt ;  and  I  saw  this  picture  in 
the  possession  of  a  bookseller,  and  my  reason  was  captivated  :  so  I  asked 
respecting  the  painter  of  it,  and  it  was  told  me  that  the  painter  of  it  was  a 
man  in  the  quarter  of  Elkark,  named  Aboulcasim  Sandalani,  in  a  street 
called  Darb  el- Z  afar  an.  I  therefore  took  with  me  some  wealth,  and  came 
alone,  no  one  knowing  of  my  case  ;  and  I  desire  of  thy  perfect  beneficence 
that  thou  wouldst  direct  me  to  him,  in  order  that  I  may  ask  him  the  cause 
of  his  painting  this  picture,  and  whose  portrait  it  is ;  and  whatsoever  he 
shall  desire  of  me,  I  will  give  him  it. 

Upon  this  the  sheikh  said,  By  Allah,  O  my  son,  I  am  Aboulcasim  San- 
dalani, and  this  is  a  wonderful  thing.  How  is  it  that  destiny  hath  driven 
thee  to  me  ?  And  when  the  young  man  heard  his  words,  he  rose  to  him 
and  embraced  him,  and  kissed  his  head  and  his  hands,  and  said  to  him,  By 
Allah,  1  conjure  thee  that  thou  tell  me  whose  portrait  it  is.  And  he  re- 
plied, I  hear  and  obey.  He  then  arose  and  opened  a  closet,  and  took  forth 
from  it  a  number  of  books  in  which  he  had  painted  this  picture,  and  said, 
Know,  O  my  son,  that  the  original  of  this  portrait  is  the  daughter  of  my 
paternal  uncle.  She  is  in  Balsora,  and  her  father  is  Governor  of  Balsora. 
He  is  named  Abouleis,  and  she  is  named  Gemila;  and  there  is  not  on  the 
face  of  the  earth  a  person  more  beautiful  than  she;  but  she  is  averse  from 
men,  and  can  not  bear  the  mention  of  a  man  in  her  company.  I  went  to 
my  uncle,  desiring  that  he  should  marry  me  to  her,  and  I  was  lavish  of 
wealth  to  him;  but  he  consented  not  to  my  proposal ;  and  when  his  daughter 
knew  thereof,  she  w;i6  enraged,  and  sent  to  me  a  message,  saying  in  it,  If 
thou  have  sense,  remain  not  in  this  city  ;  for  if  thou  do,  thou  wilt  perish, 
and  thy  sin  will  be  on  thine  own  neck.  And  she  is  a  virago  among  viragoes. 
I  therefore  went  forth  from  Balsora  with  broken  heart,  and  1  painted  this 
portrait  in  the  books,  and  dispersed  them  in  the  countries,  thinking  that 

507 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEM1LA. 

they  might  fall  into  the  hand  of  a  young  man  of  beautiful  form  like  thee, 
and  he  might  contrive  means  of  gaining  access  to  her ;  for,  perhaps,  she 
would  become  enamored  of  him  ;  and  I  would  previously  exact  of  him  a 
promise  that,  when  he  should  have  gained  possession  of  her,  he  should 
show  her  to  me,  if  he  only  granted  me  a  look  from  a  distance.  So  when 
Ibrahim  the  son  of  Casib  heard  his  words,  lie  hung  down  his  head  a  while, 
meditating.  And  Sandalani  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  I  have  not  seen  in 
Bagdad  any  one  more  beautiful  than  thou  ;  and  I  imagine  that  she,  if  she 
see  thee,  will  love  thee.  Canst  thou  then,  if  thou  obtain  an  interview  with 
her,  and  get  possession  of  her,  show  her  to  me,  and  grant  me  even  a  look 
from  a  distance  ?  He  answered,  Yes.  And  the  sheikh  said,  Since  the 
case  is  so,  reside  with  me  until  thou  shalt  set  forth.  But  the  young  man 
replied,  I  can  not  remain  ;  for  an  exceeding  fire  is  in  my  heart  on  account 
of  my  passion  for  her.  So  the  sheikh  said  to  him,  Wait  until  I  prepare 
for  thee  a  vessel  in  the  course  of  three  days,  that  thou  mayest  go  in  it  to 
Balsora.  He  therefore  waited  until  he  had  prepared  for  him  a  vessel,  and 
put  in  it  all  that  he  required,  of  food,  and  drink,  and  other  things  ;  and  after 
the  three  days  the  sheikh  said  to  the  young  man,  Prepare  for  the  voyage ; 
for  I  have  fitted  out  for  thee  a  vessel,  in  which  are  all  things  that  thou  re- 
quirest,  and  the  vessel  is  my  property,  and  the  boatmen  are  of  my  servants, 
and  in  the  vessel  is  what  will  suffice  thee  until  thou  shalt  return  ;  and  I 
have  charged  the  boatmen  to  serve  thee  till  thou  shalt  return  in  safety. 

So  the  young  man  arose  and  embarked  in  the  vessel,  bade  farewell  to 
the  sheikh,  and  proceeded  until  he  arrived  at  Balsora,  when  he  took  forth 
a  hundred  pieces  of  gold  for  the  boatmen ;  but  they  said  to  him,  We  have 
received  the  pay  from  our  master.  He,  however,  replied,  Receive  it  as  a 
present,  and  I  will  not  inform  him  of  it.  They  therefore  received  it  from 
him,  and  prayed  for  him.     The  young  man  then  entered  Balsora,  and  asked 


508 


Widow's  Bridge,  Balsora 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GE.MILA. 

where  was  the  place  of  abode  of  the  merchants  ;  whereupon  they  answered 
him,  In  a  khan  called  the  Khan  of  Hamdan.  So  he  walked  on  until  he  came 
to  the  market  in  which  was  the  khan  ;  and  the  eyes  of  the  people  were 
cast  upon  him,  gazing  at  him,  on  account  of  his  excessive  beauty  and  love- 
liness. Then  he  entered  the  khan  with  a  boatman,  and  inquired  for  the 
door-keeper.  They  therefore  directed  him  to  him  ;  and  he  saw  him  to  be 
an  old,  reverend  sheikh.  He  saluted  him,  and  the  door-keeper  returned 
his  salutation  ;  and  he  said,  O  uncle,  hast  thou  an  elegant  chamber?  He 
answered,  Yes  ;  and,  taking  him,  together  with  the  boatman,  he  opened 
for  them  an  elegant  chamber,  decorated  with  gold,  and  said,  O  young  man, 
this  chamber  is  suitable  to  thee.  And  thereupon  the  young  man  took  forth 
two  pieces  of  gold,  and  said  to  him,  Receive  these  two  as  the  gratuity  for 
the  key.  So  he  took  them,  and  prayed  for  him.  And  the  young  man 
ordered  the  boatman  to  return  to  the  vessel.  He  then  entered  the  chamber, 
and  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan  remained  with  him,  and  served  him,  and 
said  to  him,  O  my  master,  happiness  hath  betided  us  by  thy  coming.  And 
the  young  man  gave  him  a  piece  of  gold,  saying  to  him,  Buy  for  us  with  it 
some  bread,  and  meat,  and  sweetmeat,  and  wine.  Accordingly,  he  took  it 
and  repaired  to  the  market,  and  returned  to  him,  having  bought  those 
things  for  ten  pieces  of  silver,  and  gave  him  the  remainder.  But  the  young 
man  said  to  him,  Expend  it  upon  thyself.  And  the  door-keeper  of  the 
khan  rejoiced  thereat  exceedingly.  Then  the  young  man  ate,  of  the  things 
that  he  had  demanded,  one  cake  of  bread  with  a  little  savory  food,  and  said 
to  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan,  Take  this  to  the  people  of  thy  dwelling. 
He  therefore  took  it,  and  went  with  it  to  the  people  of  his  dwelling,  and 
said  to  them,  I  imagine  not  that  any  one  on  the  face  of  the  earth  is  more 
generous  than  the  young  man  who  hath  taken  up  his  abode  with  us  this  day, 
or  more  sweet  than  he  ;  and  if  he  remain  with  us,  richness  will  betide  us. 
Then  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan  went  in  to  Ibrahim,  and  saw  him 
weeping:  so  he  sat,  and  began  to  rub  and  press  gently  his  feet;  after 
which  he  kissed  them,  and  said,  O  my  master,  wherefore  dost  thou  weep  ? 
May  God  not  cause  thee  to  weep  !  And  the  young  man  said,  O  uncle,  I 
desire  to  drink  with  thee  this  night.  The  door-keeper  therefore  replied, 
I  hear  and  obey.  And  the  young  man  took  forth  and  gave  him  five  pieces 
of  gold,  saying  to  him,  Buy  for  us  with  them  fruits  and  wine.  He  then 
gave  him  five  other  pieces  of  gold,  and  said  to  him,  Buy  for  us  with  these 
dried  fruits,  and  perfumes,  and  five  fat  fowls,  and  bring  me  a  lute.  So  he 
went  forth  and  bought  for  him  what  he  had  ordered  him  to  get,  and  said 
to  his  wife,  Prepare  this  food,  and  strain  for  us  this  wine,  and  let  that  which 
thou  shalt  prepare  be  excellent ;  for  this  young  man  hath  extended  to  all 
of  us  his  beneficence.  His  wife  therefore  did  as  he  commanded  her  to  the 
utmost  of  his  desire,  and  ho  took  the  provisions  and  went  in  with  them  to 
Ibrahim  the  son  of  the  sultan.  So  they  ate,  and  drank,  and  were  merry; 
and  afterward  the  young  man  wept  and  recited  these  two  verses: 

O  my  friend,  it"  I  travo  my  life  in  my  endeavor,  and  all  my  wealth,  and  the  world 

with  what  is  in  it, 
And  the  Garden  of  Eternity  and  Paradise,  altogether,  for  the  hour  of  union,  my 

heart  would  purchase  it. 

Then  he  uttered  a  great  groan  and  fell  down  in  a  fit;  whereat  the  door- 
keeper of  the  khan  sighed  ;  and  when  he  recovered,  he  said  to  him,  O  my 
master,  what  causeth  thee  to  weep,  and  who  is  she  to  whom  thou  alludest 

509 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEM1LA. 

in  these  verses  ;  for  she  can  not  be  aught  but  as  dust  to  thy  feet  ?  And  the 
young  man  arose,  and,  taking  forth  a  wrapper  containing  some  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  women's  apparel,  said  to  him,  Take  this  to  thy  harem.  So 
he  received  it  from  him,  and  gave  it  to  his  wife,  who  thereupon  came  with 
him,  and  went  in  to  the  young  man ;  and  lo,  he  was  weeping.  She  there- 
fore said  to  him,  Thou  hast  crumbled  our  livers.  Tell  us,  then,  what 
beautiful  woman  thou  desirest,  and  she  shall  not  be  aught  but  a  slave  in 
thine  abode.  And  he  said  (addressing  the  door-keeper),  O  uncle,  know 
that  I  am  the  son  of  Casib,  the  Lord  of  Egypt,  and  that  I  am  enamored 
of  Gemila,  the  daughter  of  Abouleis,  the  chief.  So  the  wife  of  the  door- 
keeper of  the  khan  said,  Allah  !  Allah  !  O  my  brother,  abstain  from  utter- 
ing these  words,  lest  any  one  hear  of  us,  and  we  perish ;  for  there  is  not 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth  any  one  more  violent  than  she,  and  no  one  can 
mention  to  her  the  name  of  a  man,  since  she  is  averse  from  men.  Then, 
O  my  son,  turn  from  her  to  another.  And  when  he  heard  her  words,  he 
wept  violently.  The  door-keeper  of  the  khan  therefore  said  to  him,  I  have 
naught  but  my  life  to  give,  and  I  will  expose  it  to  peril  for  love  of  thee, 
and  contrive  for  thee  a  plan  by  which  thy  desire  may  be  attained.  Then 
they  both  went  forth  from  him.  And  when  the  morning  came,  the  young 
man  entered  the  bath  and  put  on  a  suit  of  the  apparel  of  kings ;  and  lo, 
the  door-keeper  of  the  khan,  with  his  wife,  advanced  to  him,  and  said  to 
him,  O  my  master,  know  that  here  is  a  tailor,  who  is  humpbacked,  and 
he  is  the  tailor  of  the  Lady  Gemila.  So  repair  to  him,  and  acquaint  him 
with  thy  state,  and  perhaps  he  will  direct  thee  to  a  means  of  thine  attain- 
ing thy  desires. 

The  youth  therefore  arose  and  went  to  the  shop  of  the  humpbacked 
tailor ;  and  he  went  in  to  him,  and  found  with  him  ten  mainlouks  like 
moons.  He  saluted  them,  and  they  returned  his  salutation,  and  were  de- 
lighted with  him,  and  they  seated  him,  and  were  confounded  at  the  sight 
of  his  charms  and  his  loveliness.  And  when  the  humpback  saw  him,  his 
mind  was  amazed  at  the  beauty  of  his  form.  The  young  man  then  said 
to  him,  I  desire  of  thee  that  thou  sew  for  me  my  pocket.  So  the  tailor 
advanced,  and  took  a  needleful  of  silk  and  sewed  it.  And  the  young  man 
had  torn  his  pocket  purposely.  And  when  the  tailor  had  sewed  it,  he  took 
forth  for  him  five  pieces  of  gold,  and  gave  them  to  him;  after  which  he 
departed  to  his  chamber.  The  tailor  therefore  said,  What  have  I  done  for 
this  young  man,  that  he  hath  given  me  the  five  pieces  of  gold  ?  Then  he 
passed  the  night  thinking  upon  his  beauty  and  his  generosity.  And  when 
the  morning  came,  the  young  man  repaired  again  to  the  shop  of  the 
humpbacked  tailor.  He  entered  and  saluted  him,  and  he  returned  his 
salutation,  treated  him  with  honor,  and  welcomed  him  ;  and  when  the  young 
man  sat,  he  said  to  the  humpback,  O  uncle,  sew  for  me  my  pocket ;  for 
it  hath  been  torn  a  second  time.  So  he  replied,  O  my  son,  on  the  head 
and  the  eye.  And  he  advanced  and  sewed  it;  and  the  young  man  gave 
him  ten  pieces  of  gold.  The  tailor  therefore  took  them,  and  became 
amazed  at  his  beauty  and  generosity,  and  said,  By  Allah,  O  young  man, 
there  must  be  some  reason  for  this  conduct  of  thine,  and  this  is  not  for  the 
sewing  of  a  pocket.  But  inform  me  of  the  truth  of  thy  case.  And  he  re- 
plied, O  uncle,  this  is  not  the  place  for  talking;  for  my  story  is  wonderful, 
and  my  case  is  extraordinary.  Upon  this  the  tailor  said,  Since  the  case 
is  so,  arise  and  come  with  us  into  a  private  place.  Then  the  tailor  arose, 
510 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA 


Ibrahim  at  the  shop  of  the  tailor. 


and,  taking  his  hand,  entered  with  him  a  chamber  within  the  shop,  and 
said  to  him,  O  young  man,  tell  me.  »So  be  related  to  him  his  case  from 
first  to  last;  and  he  was  amazed  at  his  words,  and  said,  O  young  man,  fear 
God  with  respect  to  thy  case  ;  for  she  whom  thou  hast  mentioned  is  a 
virago,  averse  from  men.  Therefore  guard,  O  my  brother,  thy  tongue; 
otherwise  thou  wilt  destroy  thyself.  And  when  the  young  man  heard  his 
words,  he  wept  violently,  and,  keeping  hold  of  the  skirt  of  the  tailor,  ho 
said,  Protect  me,  O  uncle ;  for  I  am  perishing;  and  I  have  left  my  kingdom, 
and  the  kingdom  of  bay  father,  and  my  grandfather,  and  become  in  flux 
land  a  stranger,  solitary  ;  and  I  have  not  patience  to  remain  absent  from  her. 
So  when  the  tailor  saw  what  had  betid ed  him,  he  pitied  him,  and  said, 
O  my  son,  I  have  naught  but  my  life  to  give,  and  I  will  expose  it  to  peril 

oil 


STOEY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 

for  love  of  thee  ;  for  thou  hast  wounded  my  heart.  But  to-morrow  I  will 
contrive  for  thee  a  plan  by  which  thy  heart  shall  be  comforted.  He  there- 
fore prayed  for  him,  and  departed  to  the  khan ;  and  he  told  the  door- 
keeper of  the  khan  what  the  tailor  had  said ;  whereupon  he  replied,  He 
hath  acted  with  thee  kindly.  And  when  the  next  morning  came,  the 
young  man  attired  himself  in  the  most  sumptuous  of  his  apparel,  and, 
taking  with  him  a  purse  containing  some  pieces  of  gold,  came  to  the  hump- 
back and  saluted  him,  and  sat  down.  Then  he  said  to  him,  O  uncle,  ful- 
fill thy  promise  to  me.  And  he  replied,  Arise  immediately,  and  take  three 
fat  fowls,  and  three  ounces  of  sugar-candy,  and  two  small  jugs,  which  fill 
thou  with  wine,  and  take  a  cup.  Put  these  things  into  a  small  bag,  and 
embark,  after  the  morning  prayers,  in  a  small  boat,  with  a  boatman,  and 
say  to  him,  I  desire  that  thou  go  with  me  to  the  country  below  Balsora. 
And  if  he  reply,  I  can  not  go  further  than  a  league,  say  thou  to  him,  Thou 
shalt  do  as  thou  pleasest.  But  when  he  goeth,  excite  him  with  money, 
until  he  conveyeth  thee  further ;  and  when  thou  hast  arrived,  the  first 
garden  that  thou  wilt  see  is  the  garden  of  the  Lady  Gemila.  When  thou 
seest  it,  go  to  its  gate.  Thou  wilt  see  two  high  steps,  on  which  is  furni- 
ture of  brocade,  and  a  humpbacked  man,  like  myself,  sitting.  Complain 
to  him  of  thy  state,  and  solicit  his  favor,  and  perhaps  he  will  feel  pity  for 
thy  state,  and  enable  thee  to  see  her,  at  least  to  obtain  a  sight  from  a  dis- 
tance. I  have  no  expedient  within  my  power  but  this ;  and  if  he  be  not 
moved  with  pity  for  thy  state,  I  perish,  and  so  dost  thou.  This  is  what  I 
think  advisable,  and  the  affair  must  be  committed  to  God,  whose  name  be 
exalted  !  So  the  young  man  said,  I  seek  aid  of  God.  What  God  willeth 
must  come  to  pass ;  and  there  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God.  He 
then  arose  and  departed  from  the  humpbacked  tailor,  and  repaired  to  his 
chamber,  took  the  things  that  he  had  directed  him  to  procure,  and  put 
them  into  a  neat,  small  bag.  And  when  he  arose  in  the  following  morning, 
he  came  to  the  bank  of  the  Tigris,  and  lo,  he  saw  a  boatman  lying  asleep. 
So  he  woke  him,  and  gave  him  ten  pieces  of  gold,  saying  to  him,  Convey 
me  to  the  country  below  Balsora.  The  man  replied,  O  my  master,  on  the  ">i 
condition  that  I  go  not  further  than  a  league  ;  for  if  I  go  a  span  beyond 
that  distance,  we  both  perish.  And  he  said  to  him,  As  thou  pleasest.  He 
therefore  took  him,  and  proceeded  with  him  down  the  river;  and  when 
he  came  near  to  the  garden,  he  said,  O  my  son,  beyond  this  point  I  can 
not  go  ;  for  if  I  pass  this  limit,  we  both  perish.  So  he  took  forth  and  gave 
him  ten  other  pieces  of  gold,  and  said  to  him,  Receive  this  money,  that 
thou  mayest  have  recourse  to  it  to  amend  thy  state.  And  the  man  was 
abashed  at  him,  and  said,  I  commit  the  affair  to  God,  whose  name  be  ex- 
alted !  And  he  proceeded  down  the  river  with  him  ;  and  when  he  arrived 
at  the  garden,  the  young  man  arose  in  his  jo}',  leaped  from  the  boat  as  far 
as  a  spear's  throw,  and  threw  himself  down ;  and  the  boatman  returned, 
fleeing. 

The  young  man  then  advanced,  and  he  saw  all  that  the  humpback  had 
described  to  him  with  respect  to  the  garden.  He  saw  its  gate  open,  and 
in  the  vestibule  was  a  couch  of  ivory,  on  which  was  sitting  a  humpbacked 
man  of  comely  countenance,  clad  in  apparel  ornamented  with  gold,  and 
having  in  his  hand  a  mace  of  gilt  silver.  So  the  young  man  went  quickly 
and  threw  himself  on  his  hand,  and  kissed  it;  whereupon  he  said  to  him, 
Who  art  thou,  and  whence  hast  thou  come,  and  who  brought  thee  hither, 
512 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMIT.A. 


Ibrahim  landing  at  the  garden. 


O  my  son  ?  And  that  man,  when  ho  saw  Ibrahim  the  son  of  Casib,  was 
amazed  at  his  loveliness.  Then  Ibrahim  said  to  him,  O  nnele,  I  am  an 
ignorant,  strange  youth.  And  he  wept ;  and  the  man  was  moved  with 
pity  for  him,  and  took  him  up  on  the  couch,  wiped  away  his  tears,  and 
said  to  him,  No  harm  shall  befall  thee.  If  thou  be  in  debt,  may  God  dis- 
charge thy  debt;  and  if  thou  be  in  fear,  may  God  appease  thy  fear!  So 
he  replied,  O  uncle,  I  have  no  fear,  nor  am  I  in  debt ;  but  have  with  me 
abundant,  wealth,  by  the  good  pleasure  of  God,  and  his  aid.  The  man 
therefore  said  to  him,  O  my  son,  what  is  thine  affair,  that  thou  hast  ex- 
posed thy  life  and  thy  beauty  to  peril  by  coming  to  a  place  of  destruction  ? 
And  the  young  man  related  to  him  his  story,  and  explained  to  him  his 
case;  and  when  the  humpback  heard  his  words,  lie  hung  down  his  head  a 
while  toward  the  ground,  and  said,  Is  the  humpbacked  tailor  the  person 
who  directed  thee  to  me?  He  answered  him,  Yes.  And  he  rejoined, 
This  is  my  brother,  and  he  is  a  blessed  man.  Then  he  said,  O  my  son,  if 
affection  for  thee  had  not  entered  into  my  heart,  and  if  I  had  not  pitied 
thee,  thou  hadst  perished,  thou,  and  my  brother,  and  the  door-keeper  of 
the  khan,  and  his  wife.  And  he  said,  Know  that  there  is  not  on  the  face 
Y*  513 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 

of  the  earth  the  like  of  this  garden,  and  it  is  called  the  Garden  of  the  Pearl. 
No  one  hath  entered  it,  during  the  period  of  my  life,  except  the  sultan,  and 
myself,  and  its  owner  Gemila  [and  her  attendants]  ;  and  I  have  resided  in 
it  twenty  years,  and  have  not  seen  any  man  [except  the  sultan]  come  to 
this  place.  In  the  cojurse  of  every  forty  days  the  Lady  Gemila  cometh 
hither  in  the  vessel,  and  ascendeth  amid  her  female  slaves  in  a  canopy  of 
satin,  the  borders  of  which  ten  female  slaves  hold  up  with  hooks  of  gold 
till  she  entereth  ;  so  I  have  not  seen  of  her  aught.  But  I  have  nothing 
save  my  life  to  give,  and  I  will  expose  it  to  peril  for  thy  sake.  And  there- 
upon the  young  man  kissed  his  haud  ;  and  the  humpback  said  to  him,  Sit 
with  me  until  I  contrive  for  thee  a  mode  of  proceeding. 

After  that  he  took  the  hand  of  the  young  man  and  conducted  him  into 
the  garden ;  and  when  Ibrahim  saw  that  garden,  he  imagined  that  it  was 
Paradise.  He  beheld  the  trees  to  be  entangled,  and  the  palm-trees  tall, 
and  the  waters  pouring,  and  the  birds  warbling  with  various  notes.  Then 
the  humpback  went  with  him  to  a  dome-crowned  pavilion,  and  said  to  him, 
This  is  the  place  in  which  the  Lady  Gemila  sitteth.  And  he  examined 
that  pavilion,  and  found  it  to  be  one  of  the  most  wonderful  of  pleasure- 
houses.  In  it  were  all  kinds  of  pictures  in  gold  and  ultramarine,  and  it  had 
four  doors,  to  which  one  ascended  by  five  steps ;  and  in  the  midst  of  it  was 
a  pool,  to  which  one  descended  by  steps  of  gold,  those  steps  being  set  with 
minerals.  In  the  midst  of  the  pool  was  a  fountain  of  gold,  with  images, 
large  and  small,  from  the  mouths  of  which  the  water  issued  ;  and  when 
the  images  produced  various  sounds  at  the  issuing  of  the  water,  it  seemed 
to  the  hearer  that  he  was  in  Paradise.  By  the  dome-crowned  pavilion 
was  a  water-wheel,  the  pots  of  which  were  of  silver,  and  it  was  covered 
with  brocade.  And  on  the  left  of  the  water-wheel  was  a  lattice-window 
of  silver,  looking  upon  a  green  meadow,  in  which  were  all  kinds  of  wild 
beasts,  and  gazelles,  and  hares  ;  and  on  its  right  was  a  lattice-window  look- 
ing upon  a  field  in  which  were  all  kinds  of  birds,  all  of  them  warbling  with 
various  notes,  amazing  the  hearer.  When  the  young  man  beheld  this,  he 
was  moved  with  delight.  He  seated  himself  at  the  gate  of  the  garden, 
and  the  gardener  sat  by  his  side,  and  said.  How  dost  thou  regard  my 
garden  ?  The  young  man  answered  him,  It  is  the  Paradise  of  the  World. 
And  the  gardener  laughed.  Then  he  arose,  and  was  absent  from  him  a 
while,  after  which  he  returned,  having  with  him  a  tray  containing  fowls, 
and  quails,  and  nice  food,  and  sweetmeat  of  sugar ;  and  he  put  it  before 
the  young  man,  and  said  to  him,  Eat  until  thou  shalt  be  satiated.  So  I  ate, 
says  Ibrahim,  until  I  was  satisfied  ;  and  when  he  saw  that  I  ate,  he  re- 
joiced, and  said,  By  Allah,  this  is  the  manner  of  kings,  the  sons  of  kings ! 
And  he  said,  O  Ibrahim,  what  is  with  thee  in  this  small  bag?  I  therefore 
opened  it  before  him;  and  he  said,  Carry  it  with  thee;  for  it  will  be  of 
use  to  thee  when  the  Lady  Gemila  cometh,  since,  when  she  cometh,  I 
shall  not  be  able  to  come  in  to  thee  with  aught  for  thee  to  eat.  Then  he 
arose,  and  took  my  hand,  and  brought  me  to  a  place  opposite  the  dome- 
crowned  pavilion  of  Gemila ;  and  he  made  an  arbor  amid  the  trees,  and 
said,  Ascend  into  this ;  and  when  she  cometh,  thou  wilt  see  her,  and  she 
will  not  see  thee.  This  is  the  utmost  stratagem  that  I  can  employ,  and 
upon  God  be  our  dependence.  When  she  singeth,  drink  to  her  singing, 
and  when  she  departeth,  return  to  the  place  whence  thou  earnest,  if  it  be 
the  will  of  God,  with  safety.  So  the  young  man  thanked  him,  and  desired 
514 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 


Antelopes,  hares,  &c. 

to  kiss  his  hand;  but  he  prevented  him.  Then  the  young  man  put  the 
small  bag  into  the  arbor  which  the  humpback  had  made  for  him  ;  after 
which  the  gardener  said  to  him,  O  Ibrahim,  divert  thyself  in  the  garden, 
and  eat  of  its  fruits,  for  the  appointed  time  of  the  coming  of  thy  beloved  is 
to-morrow.  Ibrahim,  therefore,  proceeded  to  amuse  himself  in  the  garden, 
and  to  eat  of  its  fruits. 

He  passed  the  night  with  the  gardener,  and  when  the  morning  came  and 
diffused  its  light  and  shone,  Ibrahim  recited  the  morning  prayers,  and  lo, 
the  gardener  came  to  him,  with  sallow  complexion,  and  said  to  him,  Arise, 
O  my  son,  and  ascend  to  the  arbor;  for  the  female  slaves  have  come  to 
spread  the  furniture  in  the  place,  and  she  will  come  after  them  ;  and  be- 
ware thou  of  spitting,  or  blowing  thy  nose,  or  sneezing ;  for  if  thou  do,  we 
shall  both  perish.  The  young  man  therefore  arose  and  ascended  to  the 
arbor,  and  the  gardener  departed,  saying,  God  giant  thee  safety,  O  my  son! 
And  while  the  young  man  was  sitting,  lo,  there  approached  five  slave 
girls,  the  like  of  whom  no  one  had  beheld.  They  entered  the  dome- 
crowned  pavilion,  pulled  off  their  outer  garments,  and  washed  the  place, 
sprinkled  it  with  rose-water,  gave  vent  to  the  fumes  of  aloes-wood  and 
ambergris,  and  spread  the  brocade.  And  there  approached  after  them 
fifty  female  slaves,  with  musical  instruments,  and  Gemila  was  amid  them, 
within  a  red  canopy  of  brocade,  and  the  female  slaves  held  up  the  skirts  of 
the  canopy  with  hooks  of  gold  until  she  entered  the  pavilion.  So  the  young 
man  saw  not  of  her,  nor  of  her  apparel,  aught  ;  and  he  said  within  himself. 
By  Allah,  all  my  labor  is  lost ;  but  I  must  wait  until  I  see  how  the  case 
will  be.     The  female  slaves  brougtil  forward  the  food  and  drink  :  and  they 

515 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 

ate,  ami  washed  their  hands,  and  set  for  Gemila  a  throne,  on  which  she 
seated  herself.  Then  they  all  played  on  the  musical  instruments,  and  sang 
with  mirth- exciting  voices,  of  which  there  was  not  the  like  ;  after  which 
an  old  woman,  who  was  a  confidential  servant,  came  forth  and  clapped 
her  hands,  and  danced;  and  the  female  slaves  pulled  her  along.  And  lo, 
the  curtain  was  raised,  and  Gemila  came  forth,  laughing  ;  and  Ibrahim  saw 
her.  Upon  her  were  ornaments  and  apparel,  and  on  her  head  was  a  crown 
set  with  fine  pearls  and  with  jewels,  and  on  her  neck  a  necklace  of  pearls, 
and  around  her  waist  a  girdle  of  oblong  chrysolites,  the  strings  of  which 
were  of  jacinths  and  pearls.  And  thereupon  the  female  slaves  arose  and 
kissed  the  ground  before  her,  while  she  laughed. 

When  I  beheld  her,  says  Ibrahim  the  son  of  Casib,  I  became  unconscious 
of  my  existence,  and  my  reason  was  confounded,  and  my  mind  was  per- 
plexed in  consequence  of  my  amazement  at  loveliness  the  like  of  which 
was  not  seen  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  I  fell  down  in  a  fit,  and  recov- 
ered with  weeping  eyes,  and  recited  these  two  verses : 

I  see  thee,  and  close  not  mine  eye,  that  mine  eyelids  may  not  prevent  my  behold 

ing  thee. 
If  I  gazed  at  thee  with  every  glance,  mine  eyes  would  not  see  all  thy  charms. 

The  old  woman  then  said  to  the  female  slaves,  Let  ten  of  you  arise,  and 
dance  and  sing.  And  when  Ibrahim  saw  them,  he  said  within  himself,  I 
wish  that  the  Lady  Gemila  would  dance.  And  after  the  dancing  of  the 
ten  slave  girls  was  ended,  they  went  around  her,  and  said,  O  our  mistress, 
we  wish  that  thou  wouldst  dance  amid  this  assembly,  that  our  happiness 
might  be  rendered  complete  thereby  ;  for  we  have  not  seen  a  more  delight- 
ful day  than  this.  So  Ibrahim  said  within  himself,  No  doubt  the  gates  of 
heaven  have  been  opened,  and  God  hath  answered  my  prayer.  Then  the 
female  slaves  kissed  her  feet,  and  said  to  her,  By  Allah,  we  have  not  seen 
thy  bosom  dilated  as  it  is  this  day.  And  they  ceased  not  to  excite  her  un- 
til she  pulled  off  her  outer  clothing,  and  became  only  clad  in  a  shirt  woven 
with  gold,  embroidered  with  varieties  of  jewels,  showing  the  forms  of  a 
bosom  like  two  pomegranates,  and  displaying  a  face  like  the  moon  in  the 
night  of  its  fullness.  Ibrahim  beheld  motions  the  like  of  which  he  had  not 
seen  before  in  his  life.  And  when  she  exhibited,  in  her  dancing,  an  extra- 
ordinary mode,  and  wonderful  invention,  her  performance  was  such  (says 
Ibrahim),  that  she  made  us  forget  the  dancing  of  the  bubbles  in  the  cups, 
and  occasioned  our  thinking  of  the  inclining  of  the  turbans  from  the  heads. 
She  was  such  as  the  poet  hath  thus  described  : 

A  dancer  whose  figure  is  like  a  willow-branch  :  my  soul  almost  quitteth  me  at  the 

sight  of  her  movements. 
No  foot  can  remain  stationary  at  her  dancing.     She  is  as  though  the  Ere  of  my 

heart  were  beneath  her  feet. 

Now,  while  I  was  looking  at  her,  says  Ibrahim,  lo,  a  glance  of  her  eye 
was  directed  toward  me,  and  she  saw  me ;  and  when  she  beheld  me,  her 
countenance  changed,  and  she  said  to  her  female  slaves,  Sing  ye  until  I  re- 
turn to  you.  Then  she  took  a  knife  half  a  cubit  in  length,  and  came  to- 
ward me,  saying,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the  High,  the 
Great !  And  when  she  drew  near  to  me  I  became  unconscious  of  my  ex- 
istence ;  but  when  she  saw  me,  and  her  face  met  mine,  the  knife  fell  from 
her  hand,  and  she  said,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  the  Changer  of  hearts ! 
516 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 


(iemila  dancing. 


She  then  said  to  me,  O  young  man,  be  of  good  heart ;  thou  art  secure  from 
that  which  thou  fear  est.  And  I  began  to  weep,  and  she  wiped  away  my 
tears  with  her  hand,  and  said,  O  young  man,  inform  me  who  thou  art,  and 
what  brought  thee  to  this  place.  So  I  kissed  the  ground  before  her,  and 
kept  hold  of  her  skirt ;  and  she  said,  No  harm  shall  befall  thee  ;  for,  by 
Allah,  mine  eye  hath  not  been  delighted  with  any  male  but  thyself.  Then 
tell  me  who  thou  art.  I  therefore  related  to  her  my  story  from  beginning 
to  end ;  and  she  wondered  thereat,  and  said  to  me,  O  my  master,  I  con- 
jure thee,  by  Allah,  to  tell  me,  art  thou  Ibrahim  the  son  of  Casib?  I  an- 
swered, Yes.  And  she  threw  herself  upon  me,  and  said,  O  my  master, 
thou  art  the  person  who  made  me  averse  from  men  ;  for  when  I  heard  that 
there  existed  in  Egypt  a  young  man  than  whom  there  was  not  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth  any  one  more  beautiful,  I  loved  thee  from  the  description, 
and  my  heart  became  fondly  attached  to  thee,  by  reason  of  that  which  was 
told  me  of  thee  concerning  thy  surpassing  loveliness,  and  I  became,  with 
regard  to  thee,  in  the  case  thus  expressed  by  the  poet : 

Mine  car  became  enamored  of  him  before  mine  eye  ;  for  the  ear  is  enamored  be- 
fore the  eye  sometimes. 

Therefore,  praise  be  to  God  who  hath  shown  me  thy  face  !  By  Allah,  had 
it  been  anv  but  thee,  I  had  crucified  the  gardener,  and  the  door-keeper  of 

517 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 

the  khan,  and  the  tailor,  and  him  who  had  had  recourse  to  them !  Then  she 
said  to  me,  How  shall  I  contrive  means  of  procuring  something  for  thee  to 
eat  without  the- knowledge  of  my  female  slaves?  So  I  answered  her,  I 
have  with  me  what  we  may  eat  and  what  we  may  drink.  And  I  opened 
the  small  bag  before  her,  and  took  a  fowl,  and  she  proceeded  to  feed  me 
with  morsels,  I  feeding  her  in  like  manner.  And  when  I  saw  this  conduct 
of  hers,  I  imagined  that  the  event  was  a  dream.  Then  I  brought  forward 
the  wine,  and  we  drank.  All  that  time,  while  she  was  with  me,  the  fe- 
male slaves  were  singing;  and  we  ceased  not  to  remain  in  this  state  from 
morn  to  noon,  when  she  arose,  and  said,  Arise  now ;  prepare  for  thee  a 
vessel,  and  wait  for  me  in  such  a  place  until  I  come  to  thee  ;  for  there  re- 
maineth  to  me  no  patience  to  endure  thy  separation.  So  I  replied,  O  my 
mistress,  I  ha?.e  with  me  a  vessel,  which  is  my  property,  and  the  boatmen 
are  hired  by  me,  and  they  are  expecting  me.  Aud  she  said,  This  is  what 
we  desire. 

She  then  went  to  the  female  slaves,  and  said  to  them,  Arise  with  us, 
that  we  may  go  to  our  palace.  They  therefore  said  to  her,  Why  should 
we  arise  now,  when  it  is  our  custom  to  remain  three  days  ?  And  she  re- 
plied, Verily  I  experience  in  myself  a  great  heaviness.  It  seemeth  that 
1  am  sick,  and  I  fear  that,  this  illness  may  become  more  heavy  upon  me. 
So  they  said  to  her,  We  hear  and  obey.  Accordingly,  they  put  on  their 
apparel,  went  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  embarked  in  the  boat.  And  lo, 
the  gardener  approached  Ibrahim,  having  no  knowledge  of  that  which  had 
happened  to  him,  and  said,  O  Ibrahim,  thou  hast  not  had  the  good  fortune 
to  delight  thyself  with  beholding  her;  for  it  is  her  custom  to  remain  here 
three  days,  and  I  fear  that  she  hath  seen  thee.  But  Ibrahim  replied,  She 
saw  me  not,  nor  did  I  see  her,  nor  did  she  come  forth  from  the  pavilion. 
And  he  said,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth,  O  my  son;  for,  had  she  seen  thee, 
we  had  perished  :  but  remain  with  me  until  she  come  next  week,  and  thou 
shalt  see  her  and  satiate  thyself  with  gazing  at  her.  Ibrahim,  however, 
replied,  O  my  master,  I  have  with  me  wealth,  and  I  fear  for  it.  I  have 
also  left  behind  me  men,  and  I  fear  that  they  will  think  me  too  long  absent. 
And  the  gardener  said,  O  my  son,  verily  thy  separation  will  be  grievous  to 
me.  Then  he  embraced  him,  and  bade  him  farewell ;  and  Ibrahim  repair- 
ed to  the  khan  in  which  he  was  lodging,  met  the  door-keeper  of  the  khan, 
and  took  his  wealth.  And  the  door-keeper  said  to  him,  Good  news,  if  it 
be  the  will  of  God.  But  Ibrahim  replied,  I  found  no  way  of  accomplishing 
my  affair,  and  I  desire  to  return  to  my  family.  So  the  door-keeper  of  the 
khan  wept,  and  bade  him  farewell,  carried  his  goods,  and  conducted  him  to 
the  vessel. 

After  that  Ibrahim  repaired  to  the  place  of  which  Gemila  had  told  him, 
and  there  waited  for  her ;  and  when  the  night  became  dark,  lo,  she  ap- 
proached him  in  the  garb  of  a  valiant  man,  with  a  round  beard,  and  her 
waist  bound  with  a  girdle,  and  in  one  of  her  hands  were  a  bow  and  arrows, 
and  in  the  other  was  a  drawn  sword  ;  and  she  said  to  him,  Art  thou  the 
son  of  Casib,  the  Lord  of  Egypt?  So  Ibrahim  answered  her,  I  am  he. 
And  she  said  to  him,  And  what  young  wretch  art  thou,  that  thou  hast 
come  to  corrupt  the  daughters  of  the  kings  ?  Arise  ;  answer  the  summons 
of  the  sultan.  Upon  this,  says  Ibrahim,  I  fell  down  in  a  fit ;  and  as  to  the 
boatmen,  they  almost  died  in  their  skins  from  fear.  Therefore,  when  she 
saw  what  had  happened  to  me,  she  pulled  off  that  beard,  threw  down  the 
518 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA 

sword,  and  loosed  the  girdle ;  and  I  saw  sbe  was  the  Lady  Gemila,  and 
said  to  her,  By  Allah,  thou  hast  mangled  my  heart !  Then  I  said  to  the 
boatmen,  Hasten  the  course  of  the  vessel.  Accordingly,  they  loosed  the 
sail,  and  hastened  in  their  course,  and  only  a  few  days  had  elapsed  be- 
fore we  arrived  at  Bagdad.  And  lo,  there  was  a  vessel  lying  stationary 
by  the  bank  of  the  river ;  and  when  the  boatmen  who  were  iu  it  saw 
us,  they  called  out  to  the  boatmen  who  were  with  us,  and  proceeded 
to  say,  O  such  a  one  !  and  O  such  a  one !  we  congratulate  you  on  your 
safety!  They  then  drove  their  vessel  against  ours;  and  we  looked,  and 
behold,  in  it  was  Aboulcasim  Sandalani,  who,  when  he  saw  us,  said,  Verily 
this  is  the  object  of  my  search.  Go  ye,  in  the  keeping  of  God.  I  desire 
to  repair  to  accomplish  an  affair.  And  there  was  before  him  a  candle. 
Then  he  said  to  me,  Praise  be  to  God  for  thy  safety  !  Hast  thou  accom- 
plished thine  affair  ?  I  answered,  Yes.  And  thereupon  he  put  the  can- 
dle near  to  us  ;  and  when  Gemila  saw  him,  her  state  became  changed, 
and  her  complexion  became  sallow  ;  and  when  Sandalani  saw  her,  he  said, 
Depart  ye,  in  the  safe-keeping  of  God.  I  am  going  to  Balsora,  on  business 
for  the  sultan  ;  but  the  gift  is  for  him  who  is  present.  He  then  produced 
a  small  box  of  sweetmeats  and  threw  it  into  our  vessel,  and  there  was  in 
them  bhang.  So  Ibrahim  said,  O  delight  of  my  eye,  eat  of  this.  But  she 
wept,  and  said,  O  Ibrahim,  knowest  thou  who  this  is  ?  I  answered  (says 
Ibrahim),  Yes ;  this  is  such  a  one.  And  she  rejoined,  He  is  the  son  of 
my  paternal  uncle,  and  formerly  he  demanded  me  in  marriage  of  my  fa- 
ther, and  I  did  not  accept  him;  and  he  is  repairing  to  Balsora;  so  probably 
he  will  inform  my  father  of  us.  But  I  said,  O  my  mistress,  he  will  not  ar- 
rive at  Balsora  until  we  arrive  at  Mosul.  And  they  knew  not  what  was 
concealed  from  them  in  the  secret  purpose  of  God. 

Then  I  ate  (says  Ibrahim)  somewhat  of  the  sweetmeat,  and  it  had  not 
descended  into  my  stomach  before  I  struck  the  floor  with  my  head.  And 
when  it  was  near  daybreak  I  sneezed;  whereupon  the  bhang  issued  from 
my  nostril,  and  I  opened  my  eye,  and  beheld  myself  stripped  of  my  outer 
clothing,  and  thrown  amid  ruins.  I  therefore  slapped  my  face,  and  said 
within  myself,  Verily  this  is  a  stratagem  practiced  upon  me  by  Sandalani. 
I  knew  not  whither  to  repair,  and  had  nothing  upon  me  but  a  pair  of  trow- 
sers  :  and  I  arose  and  walked  about  a  little  ;  and  lo,  the  judge  approached 
me,  accompanied  by  a  party  of  men  with  swords  and  leathern  shields.  So 
I  feared,  and,  seeing  a  ruined  bath.  I  hid  myself  in  it.  But  my  foot  stum- 
bled upon  something;  wherefore  I  put  my  hand  upon  it,  and  it  became  be- 
fouled with  blood.  I  therefore  wiped  it  on  my  trowsers,  not  knowing  what 
it  was,  and  stretched  forth  my  hand  to  the  thing  a  second  time  ;  where- 
upon it  fell  on  a  slain  person,  and  the  head  came  up  in  my  hand.  So  I 
threw  it  down,  and  said,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power  but  in  God,  the 
High,  the  Great!  I  then  entered  one  of  the  retired  corners  of  the  bath; 
and  behold,  the  judge  stopped  at  the  door  of  the  bath,  and  said,  Enter  ye 
this  place  and  search.  And  ten  of  them  entered  with  cressets;  and  by 
reason  of  my  fear,  1  retired  behind  a  wall,  and,  taking  a  view  of  that  slain 
person,  I  saw  it  to  be  a  damsel,  whose  face  was  like  the  full  moon  ;  her 
head  lying  on  one  side,  and  her  body  on  another ;  and  upon  her  was  costly 
apparel.  Therefore,  when  I  beheld  her,  a  violent  trembling  affected  my 
heart.  And  the  judge  entered,  and  said,  Search  throughout  the  bath. 
And  they  entered  the  place  in  which  1  was,  and  a  man  of  them  saw  me, 

519 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 


M 


Ibrahim  anion?  the  ruins. 


and  came  to  me,  having  in  his  hand  a  knife  half  a  cubit  long;  and  when  he 
drew  near  to  me,  he  said,  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  God,  the  Creator 
of  this  beautiful  face  !  O  young  man,  whence  art  thou  ?  Then  he  took 
my  hand,  and  said,  O  young  man,  wherefore  didst  thou  slay  this  murdered 
female  ?  So  I  answered,  By  Allah,  I  did  not  slay  her,  nor  do  I  know  who 
slew  her,  and  I  entered  not  this  place  save  through  fear  of  you.  And  I 
acquainted  him  with  my  case,  and  said  to  him,  By  Allah,  I  conjure  thee 
that  thou  wrong  me  not,  for  I  am  anxious  for  myself.  And  he  took  me  and 
led  me  forward  to  the  judge  ;  and  when  he  saw  upon  my  hands  the  marks 
of  blood,  he  said,  This  requireth  not  proof:  therefore  strike  oft'  his  head. 
So  when  I  heard  these  words,  I  wept  violently  ;  the  tears  of  my  eyes  flow- 
ed, and  I  recited  these  two  verses: 

We  trod  the  steps  appointed  for  us  ;  and  he  whose  steps  are  appointed  must  tread 

them. 
He  whose  death  is  decreed  to  take  place  in  one  land  will  not  die  in  any  land  but 

that. 

Then  I  uttered  a  groan  and  fell  down  in  a  fit;  whereupon  the  heart  of  the 
executioner  was  moved  with  pity  for  me,  and  he  said,  By  Allah,  this  is  not 
the  face  of  him  who  hath  committed  a  murder  !  But  the  judge  said,  Strike 
oft'  his  head  !  They  therefore  seated  me  upon  the  skin  of  blood,  and  bound 
over  my  eyes  a  covering,  and  the  swordsman  took  his  sword,  asked  per- 
mission of  the  judge,  and  was  about  to  strike  off  my  head.  So  I  cried 
out,  Alas  for  my  distance  from  my  home ! 

But  lo,  a  company  of  horsemen  approached,  and  a  speaker  said,  Leave 
ye  him  !     Restrain  thy  hand,  O  swordsman  !     And  this  was  occasioned  by 
520 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 


Ibrahim  arrested  by  the  officers  of  the  judge. 

a  wonderful  cause  and  an  extraordinary  circumstance,  which  was  this. 
Casib,  the  Lord  of  Egypt,  had  sent  his  chamberlain  to  the  Caliph  Haroun 
Alrashid,  and  with  him  presents  and  rarities,  and  also  a  letter,  in  which  he 
wrote  to  him,  My  son  hath  been  lost  a  year  since,  and  I  have  heard  that 
he  is  in  Bagdad  ;  and  my  desire  of  the  beneficence  of  the  caliph  of  God  is 
that  he  would  search  for  tidings  of  him,  and  strive  in  seeking  him,  and 
send  him  to  me  with  the  chamberlain.  So  when  the  caliph  read  the  letter, 
he  ordered  the  judge  to  investigate  the  truth  of  his  story;  and  the  judge 
and  the  caliph  ceased  not  to  inquire  for  him,  until  it  was  told  the  judge 
that  he  was  at  Balsora.  He  therefore  informed  the  caliph  of  that,  and  tiie 
caliph  wrote  a  letter  and  gave  it  to  the  Egyptian  chamberlain,  ordering  hiin 
to  journey  to  Balsora,  and  to  take  with  him  a  party  of  the  dependents  of 
the  vizier.  And  by  reason  of  the  eagerness  of  the  chamberlain  to  find  the 
son  of  his  lord,  he  went  forth  immediately,  and  he  found  the  young  man 
upon  the  skin  of  blood,  with  the  judge.     And  when  the  judge  saw  the 

521 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 

chamberlain,  and  knew  him,  he  dismounted  to  him  ;  and  the  chamberlain 
said  to  him,  Who  is  this  young  man,  and  what  is  his  case  ?  So  he  ac- 
quainted him  with  the  matter;  and  the  chamberlain  said,  not  knowing  that 
he  was  the  son  of  the  sultan,  Verily  the  face  of  this  young  man  is  the  face 
of  one  that  doth  not  murder.  And  he  ordered  the  judge  to  loose  his  bonds  ; 
wherefore  he  loosed  them  ;  and  he  said,  Bring  him  forward  to  me.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  led  him  forward  to  him.  And  his  loveliness  had  departed  in 
consequence  of  the  severity  of  the  horrors  that  he  had  endured.  The 
chamberlain  therefore  said  to  him,  Acquaint  me  with  thy  history,  O  young 
man,  and  tell  me  wherefore  this  slain  female  is  with  thee.  And  when 
Ibrahim  looked  at  the  chamberlain,  he  knew  him  :  so  he  said  to  him,  Woe 
to  thee  !  Dost  thou  not  know  me  ?  Am  I  not  Ibrahim,  the  son  of  thy 
lord  ?  Probably  thou  hast  come  to  seek  for  me.  Upon  this  the  chamber- 
lain fixed  his  eyes  intently  upon  him,  and  knew  him  perfectly  :  therefore, 
when  he  knew  him,  he  threw  himself  upon  his  feet.  And  when  the  judge 
saw  what  the  chamberlain  did,  his  complexion  became  sallow.  The  cham- 
berlain then  said  to  him,  Woe  to  thee,  O  oppressor!  Was  it  thy  desire 
to  slay  the  son  of  my  master  Casib,  the  Lord  of  Egypt?  Sothejudge  kissed 
the  skirt  of  the  chamberlain,  and  said  to  him,  O  my  lord,  how  could  I  know 
him  ?  Verily  we  saw  him  in  this  plight,  and  we  saw  the  damsel  slain  by 
his  side.  But  he  replied,  Woe  to  thee !  Verily  thou  art  not  fit  for  the 
office  of  judge.  This  is  a  young  man,  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  he  hath 
not  killed  a  sparrow.  How,  then,  should  he  murder  a  human  being  ?  Didst 
thou  not  grant  him  any  delay,  and  ask  him  respecting  his  state  ?  Then  the 
chamberlain  and  the  judge  said,  Search  ye  for  the  murderer  of  the  damsel. 
They  therefore  entered  the  bath  a  second  time,  and  they  saw  her  murderer  : 
so  they  took  him  and  brought  him  to  the  judge,  who  took  him  and  repaired 
with  him  to  the  palace  of  the  caliph,  and  acquainted  the  caliph  with  the 
events  that  had  happened. 

Upon  this  Alrashid  gave  orders  to  slay  the  murderer  of  the  damsel ; 
after  which  he  commanded  to  bring  the  son  of  Casib.  And  when  he  pre- 
sented himself  before  him,  Alrashid  smiled  in  his  face,  and  said  to  him, 
Acquaint  me  with  thy  history,  and  the  events  that  have  happened  to  thee. 
So  he  related  to  him  his  story  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  :  and  it  excited 
his  wonder.  He  then  called  Mesrour  the  Executioner,  and  said,  Go  this 
instant  and  assail  the  house  of  Aboulcasim  Sandalani,  and  bring  him  and 
the  damsel  to  me.  Accordingly,  he  went  immediately  and  assailed  his 
house,  and  he  saw  the  damsel  bound  with  her  hair,  and  at  the  point  of  de- 
struction. Mesrour  therefore  loosed  her,  and  brought  her  with  Sandalani; 
and  when  Alrashid  beheld  her,  he  wondered  at  her  loveliness.  Then  he 
looked  toward  Sandalani,  and  said,  Take  ye  him  and  cut  oft"  his  hands  with 
which  he  smote  this  damsel,  and  crucify  him,  and  deliver  his  riches  and  his 
possessions  to  Ibrahim.  And  they  did  so.  And  while  they  were  thus  em- 
ployed, lo,  Abouleis,  the  governor  of  Balsora,  the  father  of  the  Lady  Gemila, 
approached  them,  to  demand  aid  of  the  caliph  against  Ibrahim  the  son  of 
Casib,  the  Lord  of  Egypt,  and  to  complain  to  him  that  he  had  taken  his 
daughter.  But  Alrashid  said  to  him,  He  was  the  cause  of  her  deliverance 
from  torture  and  slaughter.  And  he  gave  orders  to  bring  the  son  of  Casib; 
and  when  he  came,  he  said  to  Abouleis,  Wilt  thou  not  consent  that  this 
young  man,  the  son  of  the  Sultan  of  Egypt,  shall  be  a  husband  to  thy 
daughter  ?  And  he  answered,  I  hear  and  obey  God  and  thee,  O  Prince  of 
522 


STORY  OF  IBRAHIM  AND  GEMILA. 

the  Faithful!  So  the  caliph  summoned  the  cadi  and  the  witnesses,  and 
married  the  damsel  to  Ibrahim  the  son  of  Casib.  He  also  presented  to  him 
all  the  riches  of  Sandalani,  and  fitted  him  out  for  his  return  to  his  country. 
And  he  lived  with  her  in  the  most  perfect  happiness  and  the  most  complete 
joy  until  they  were  visited  by  the  terminator  of  delights  and  the  separator 
of  companions.     Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  the  Living,  who  dieth  not! 


5.23 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


COMMENCING    WITH    PART     OF     THE    NINE     HUNDRED     AND     EIGHTY-NINTH 
NIGHT,   AND    ENDING    WITH    THE    THOUSAND    AND    FIRST. 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

There  was,  in  the  guarded  city  of  Cairo,  a  cobbler  who  mended  old 
shoes.  His  name  was  Marouf,  and  he  had  a  wife  whose  name  was  Fatima, 
and  whose  nickname  was  Orra;  and  they  gave  her  not  that  nickname  save 
because  she  was  a  wicked,  evil  woman,  of  little  modesty,  a  great  mischief- 
maker.  She  ruled  her  husband,  and  every  day  used  to  revile  him  and 
curse  him  a  thousand  times;  and  he  dreaded  her  malice,  and  feared  her 
oppression  ;  for  he  was  a  sensible  man,  who  felt  shame  for  his  reputation  ; 
524 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

but  he  was  poor  in  circumstances.  When  he  worked  for  much,  he  ex- 
pended his  gains  upon  her ;  and  when  he  worked  for  little,  she  revenged 
herself  upon  his  body  during  the  ensuing  night,  and  deprived  him  of  health, 
making  his  night  like  the  record  of  her  own  actions.  She  was  such  a  per- 
son as  her  in  dispraise  of  whom  the  poet  hath  said, 

How  many  nights  have  I  passed  with  my  wife  in  the  most  unfortunate  of  condi- 
tions ! 

Would  that,  at  the  time  of  my  first  visit  to  her,  I  had  produced  some  poison  and 
poisoned  her ! 

Now,  among  the  events  that  happened  to  this  man,  proceeding  from  his 
wife,  it  chanced  that  she  said  to  him,  O  Marouf,  I  desire  of  thee  to-night 
that  thou  bring  me  some  kunafeh,*  with  bees'  honey  upon  it.  And  he  re- 
plied, May  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  make  easy  to  me  the  means  of 
obtaining  its  price,  and  I  will  bring  it  to  thee  to-night.  By  Allah,  I  have 
had  no  money  this  day ;  but  our  Lord  may  render  the  affair  easy.  She, 
however,  said  to  him,  I  know  not  these  words.  Whether  He  render  it  easy 
or  do  not  render  it  easy,  come  not  to  me  save  with  the  kunafeh  with  bees' 
honey;  and  if  thou  come  without  kunafeh,  I  will  make  thy  night  like  thy 
fortune  when  thou  marriedst  me  and  fellest  into  my  hand.  So  he  replied, 
God  is  bountiful.  Then  that  man  went  forth,  with  grief  displaying  itself 
in  his  person  ;  and,  after  he  had  performed  the  morning  prayers,  he  opened 
the  shop,  and  said,  I  pray  thee,  O  Lord,  to  supply  me  with  the  price  of 
this  kunafeh,  and  to  save  me  from  the  mischief  of  this  wicked  woman  to- 
night !  And  he  sat  in  the  shop  until  mid-day,  but,  no  work  betided  him  ; 
wherefore  his  fear  of  his  wife  became  violent,  and  he  arose  and  closed  the 
shop,  and  became  perplexed  respecting  his  case,  on  account  of  the  kunafeh, 
not  having  even  any  portion  of  the  price  of  the  bread.  He  then  passed 
by  the  shop  of  the  seller  of  kunafeh,  and  stopped  in  a  state  of  stupefaction, 
and  his  eyes  filled  with  tears.  And  the  seller  of  kunafeh,  casting  at  him 
a  sidelong  glance,  said,  O  Master  Marouf,  wherefore  dost  thou  weep? 
Tell  me  what  hath  befallen  thee.  He  therefore  told  him  his  tale,  and  said 
to  him,  My  wife  is  a  virago,  and  she  hath  demanded  of  me  kunafeh,  and  I 
have  sat  in  the  shop  until  half  the  day  hath  passed,  but  not  even  the  price 
of  bread  hath  betided  me,  and  I  am  in  fear  of  her.  And  upon  this  the 
seller  of  kunafeh  laughed,  and  said,  No  harm  shall  befall  thee.  How 
many  pounds  dost  thou  desire  ?  He  answered,  Five  pounds.  And  he 
weighed  for  him  five  pounds,  and  said  to  him,  I  have  the  clarified  butter; 
but  I  have  not  bees'  honey  :  I  have,  however,  drip-honey, f  better  than 
bees'  honey;  and  what  will  be  the  harm  if  it  be  with  drip-honey?  And 
Marouf  was  abashed  at  him,  because  he  was  to  wait  for  his  paying  the 
price.  He  therefore  said  to  him,  Give  it  me  with  drip-honey.  And  he 
fried  for  him  the  kunafeh  with  the  clarified  butter,  and  saturated  it  with 
drip-honey,  and  it  became  lit  to  be  presented  to  kings.  Then  he  said  to 
him,  Dost  thou  want  bread  and  cheese?  He  answered,  Yes.  So  he  took 
for  him  four  farthings'  worth  of  bread  and  a  farthing's  worth  of  cheese, 
and  the  kunafeh  was  for  ten  farthings;  and  he  said  to  him,  Know,  O  Ma- 
rouf, that  thy  debt  hath  become  fifteen  farthings.  Go  to  thy  wife  and 
make  merry,  and  take  this  farthing  lo  serve  as  payment  for  the  bath.  Thou 
shall   have  a  delay  of  a  day,  or  two  days,  or  three,  until  God  shall  supply 

*  A  sort  of  pastry  resembline  vermicelli,  t  Treacle. 

5J0 


THF  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

thee;  and  distress  not  thy  wife;  for  I  will  have  patience,  with  thee  until 
thou  shalt  have  money  exceeding  what  will  be  requisite  for  thy  expenditure. 
So  he  took  the  kunafeh,  and  the  bread  and  the  cheese,  and  departed 
praying  for  him,  and  went  with  comforted  heart,  saying,  Extolled  be  thy 
perfection,  O  my  Lord !  How  bountiful  art  thou !  Then  he  went  in  to 
hei\  and  she  said  to  him,  Hast  thou  brought  the  kunafeh  ?  He  answered, 
Yes.  And  he  placed  it  before  her.  So  she  looked  at  it,  and  saw  it  to  be 
with  honey  of  the  sugar-cane ;  and  upon  this  she  said  to  him,  Did  I  not 
say  to  thee,  Bring  it  with  bees'  honey  ?  Dost  thou  act  contrary  to  my  de- 
sire, and  make  it  with  honey  of  the  sugar-cane  ?  He  therefore  apologized 
to  her,  and  said  to  her,  I  bought  it  not  save  upon  credit.  But  she  replied, 
These  are  vain  words.  I  will  not  eat  kunafeh  save  with  bees'  honey.  And 
she  was  angry  with  it,  and  threw  it  in  his  face,  saying  to  him,  Arise,  you 
rascal :  bring  me  some  other  kunafeh  !  She  then  struck  him  with  her  fist 
upon  the  side  of  his  face,  knocking  out  one  of  his  teeth,  and  the  blood  flowed 
down  upon  his  bosom  ;  and,  by  reason  of  the  violence  of  his  rage,  he  struck 
her  one  slight  blow  upon  her  head ;  whereat  she  seized  his  beard,  and  be- 
gan to  cry  out  and  to  say,  O  ye  Faithful !     The  neighbors  therefore  eu- 


Marouf  aided  by  his  neighbors. 

tered  and  extricated  his  beard  from  her  hand  ;  and  they  beset  her  with 
reproofs,  and  reproached  her,  and  said,  We  all  like  to  eat  kunafeh  that  is 
with  honey  of  the  sugar-cane.  What  is  this  oppressive  conduct  toward 
this  poor  man  ?  Verily  this  is  disgraceful  to  thee  !  And  they  ceased  not 
to  soothe  her  until  they  ett'ected  a  reconciliation  between  her  and  him.  But 
after  the  departure  of  the  people,  she  swore  that  she  would  not  eat  aught  of 
the  kunafeh  ;  and  hunger  tormented  Marouf :  so  he  said  within  himself,  She 
hath  sworn  that  she  will  not  eat :  therefore  I  will  eat.  Then  he  ate  ;  and 
when  she  saw  him  do  so,  she  began  to  say  to  him,  If  it  be  the  will  of  God, 
5-26 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF 

may  it  be  a  poison  that  shall  destroy  thy  body !  But  he  replied,  It  is  not 
as  thou  sayest.  And  he  proceeded  to  eat,  and  to  laugh,  and  say,  Thou 
hast  sworn  that  thou  wilt  not  eat  of  this.  But  God  is  bountiful;  and  if  it 
be  the  will  of  God,  to-morrow  night  I  will  bring  thee  kunafeh  that  shall  be 
with  bees'  honey,  and  thou  shalt  eat  it  by  thyself.  And  he  proceeded  to 
appease  her,  while  she  cursed  him.  She  ceased  not  to  revile  him  and 
abuse  him  until  the  morning;  and  when  the  morning  came,  she  tucked  up 
the  sleeve  from  her  arm  to  beat  him  :  so  he  said  to  her,  Grant  me  a  delay, 
and  I  will  bring  thee  some  other  kunafeh. 

He  then  went  forth  to  the  mosque  and  said  his  prayers,  and  went  to 
the  shop  and  opened  it,  and  sat.  But  he  had  not  sat  long  when  two  offi- 
cers from  the  cadi  came  to  him,  and  said  to  him,  Arise  ;  answer  the  sum- 
mons of  the  cadi ;  for  thy  wife  hath  complained  of  thee  to  him,  and  her 
appearance  is  so  and  so.  And  he  knew  her  [by  the  description],  and  said, 
May  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  send  trouble  upon  her!  Then  he 
arose  and  walked  with  them  until  he  went  in  to  the  cadi,  when  he  saw  his 
wife  with  her  arm  bound,  and  her  face-veil  befouled  with  blood,  and  she 
was  standing  weeping,  and  wiping  away  her  tears.  So  the  cadi  said  to 
him,  O  man,  dost  thou  not  fear  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  ?  How  is  it 
that  thou  beatest  this  wife,  and  breakest  her  arm,  and  knockest  out  her 
tooth,  and  dost  these  deeds  unto  her  ?  And  he  replied,  If  I  have  beaten 
her,  or  knocked  out  her  tooth,  sentence  me  to  what  punishment  thou 
choosest.  Verily  the  case  was  so  and  so,  and  the  neighbors  made  peace 
between  me  and  her.  And  he  acquainted  him  with  the  case  from  begin- 
ning to  end.  And  that  cadi  was  of  the  people  of  beneficence ;  so  he  took 
forth  for  him  a  quarter  of  a  piece  of  gold,  and  said  to  him,  O  man,  take 
this,  and  prepare  for  her  with  it  some  kunafeh  with  bees'  honey,  and  be 
thou  reconciled  to  her.  And  he  replied,  Give  it  to  her.  She  therefore 
took  it ;  and  the  cadi  made  peace  between  them,  and  said,  O  wife,  obey 
thy  husband  ;  and  thou,  O  man,  act  kindly  to  her.  And  they  went  forth 
reconciled  by  means  of  the  cadi.  The  woman  went  one  way,  and  her 
husband  went  another  way,  to  his  shop,  and  sat  down.  And  lo,  the  ser- 
geants came  to  him,  and  said.  Give  us  our  fee.  So  he  said  to  them,  The 
cadi  took  not  from  me  aught;  on  the  contrary,  he  gave  me  a  quarter  of  a 
piece  of  gold.  But  they  replied.  We  have  no  concern  with  the  cadi's  giving 
to  thee  or  taking  from  thee ;  and  if  thou  give  us  not  our  fee,  we  will  take 
it  by  force  from  thee.  And  they  proceeded  to  drag  him  along  through 
the  market.  He  therefore  sold  his  implements,  and  gave  them  half  a  piece 
of  gold,  and  they  went  away  from  him.  He  then  put  his  hand  upon  his 
cheek  and  sat  sorrowful,  because  he  had  not  implements  with  which  to 
work.  And  while  he  was  sitting,  lo,  two  men  of  hideous  aspect  advanced 
to  him,  and  said  to  him,  Arise,  O  man ;  answer  the  summons  of  the  cadi ; 
for  thy  wife  hath  complained  of  thee  to  him.  He  therefore  replied,  He 
hath  made  peace  between  me  and  her.  But  they  said  to  him,  We  are 
from  another  cadi  ;  for  thy  wife  hath  complained  of  thee  to  our  cadi.  So 
he  arose  and  went  with  them,  praying  for  aid  againt  her  by  ejaculating,  God 
is  our  sufficiency,  and  excellent  is  the  Protector!  And  when  he  saw  her, 
he  said  to  her,  Have  we  not  made  peace  with  each  other,  O  ingenuous 
woman  ?  But  she  replied,  There  remaineth  no  longer  peace  between  mo 
and  thee.  And  he  advanced  and  related  to  the  cadi  his  story,  saying  to 
him,  The  cadi  such  a  one  made  peace  between  us  just  now.     So  the  cadi 

527 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

said  to  her,  O  impudent  woman,  since  ye  have  made  peace  with  each  other, 
wherefore  hast  thou  come  complaining  to  me?  She  answered,  He  beat 
me  after  that.  And  the  cadi  said  to  them,  Make  peace  with  each  other; 
and,  addressing  the  man,  he  added,  And  beat  her  not  again,  and  she  will  not 
again  oppose  thee.  They  therefore  made  peace  with  each  other;  and  the 
cadi  said  to  him,  Give  the  sergeants  their  fee.  Accordingly,  he  gave  them 
their  fee,  and  he  went  to  the  shop  and  opened  it.  and  sat  in  it,  like  one  in 
toxicated,  by  reason  of  the  anxiety  that  had  befallen  him. 

And  while  he  was  sitting,  lo,  a  man  advanced  to  him,  and  said  to  him,  O 
Marouf,  arise;  hide  thyself;  for  thy  wife  hath  complained  of  thee  to  the 
Sublime  Court,  and  Abou  Tabak  is  coming  down  upon  thee.  So  he  arose 
and  closed  the  shop,  and  fled  in  the  direction  of  the  Bab  el-Nasr.  And 
there  had  remained  in  his  possession  five  farthings,  of  the  price  of  the  lasts 
and  the  other  implements.  He  therefore  bought  for  four  farthings  bread, 
and  for  one  farthing  cheese,  as  he  fled  from  her.  And  this  happened  in 
the  winter-quarter,  at  the  time  of  afternoon  prayers ;  and  when  he  went 
forth  among  the  mounds,  the  rain  descended  upon  him  like  streams  pour- 
ing from  the  mouths  of  water-skins,  and  his  clothes  were  wetted.  So  he 
entered  the  Adilia -mosque,  and,  seeing  a  ruined  place,  in  which  was  a 
deserted  cell,  without  a  door,  he  entered  to  shelter  himself  in  it  from  the 
rain  ;  his  clothes  being  wetted.     Then  tears  descended  from  his  eyelids, 


<&>r 


Water-skins. 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

and  he  became  oppressed  in  mind  by  his  affliction,  and  said,  Whither  shall 
I  flee  from  this  vile  woman  ?  I  pray  thee,  O  Lord,  to  send  to  me  some 
person  who  shall  convey  me  to  a  distant  country,  whither  she  shall  not 
know  the  way  by  which  to  reach  me.  And  while  he  was  sitting  weeping, 
lo,  the  wall  clove  asunder,  and  there  came  forth  to  him  from  it  a  person  of 


//M/A         •" 


The  Genie  appearing  to  Marouf. 


tall  stature,  at  the  sight  of  whom  the  flesh  quaked,  and  he  said  to  him,  O 
man,  what  aileth  thee  that  thou  hast  disquieted  me  this  night?  I  have 
been  residing  in  this  place  for  two  hundred  years,  and  have  not  seen  any 
one  enter  it  and  do  as  thou  hast  done.  Acquaint  me,  then,  with  thy  desire, 
and  I  will  accomplish  thine  affair;  for  compassion  for  thee  hath  aflectcd 
my  heart.  Upon  this  he  said  to  him,  Who  art  thou,  and  what  may  est 
thou  be?  And  he  answered  him,  I  am  the  haunter  of  this  place.  So  he 
acquainted  him  with  all  that  had  happened  to  him  with  his  wife  ;  where- 
upon the  Genie  said  to  him,  Dost  thou  desire  that  I  should  convey  thee  to 
Vol.  II.— Z  529 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF 


The  Genie  carrying  off  Marouf. 

a  country  whither  thy  wife  shall  know  no  way  by  which  to  reach  thee  ? 
He  answered,  Yes.  And  the  Genie  said  to  him,  Mount  upon  my  back. 
Accordingly  he  mounted;  and  the  Genie  bore  him  and  flew  with  him 
from  after  nightfall  until  the  rising  of  the  dawn,  when  he  set  him  down 
upon  the  summit  of  a  high  mountain,  and  said,  O  human  being,  descend 
from  the  top  of  this  mountain  :  thou  wilt  see  the  threshold  of  a  city,  and  do 
thou  enter  it ;  for  thy  wife  will  not  know  any  way  by  which  to  reach  thee, 
nor  will  it  be  possible  for  her  to  gain  access  to  thee.  Then  he  left  him, 
and  departed. 

Marouf  was  in  a  state  of  confusion,  perplexed  in  his  mind,  until  the  sun 
rose  :  whereupon  he.  said  within  himself,  I  will  arise,  and  descend  from 
this  mountain  to  the  city  ;  for  in  my  sitting  here  is  no  advantage.  So  he 
descended  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and  he  saw  a  city  with  high  walls, 
and  lofty  pavilions,  and  decorated  buildings,  and  it  was  a  delight  to  the  be- 
holders. He  entered  the  gate  of  the  city,  and  saw  that  it  dilated  the  sor- 
rowful heart ;  and  when  he  walked  through  the  market,  the  people  of  the 
city  looked  at  him,  diverting  themselves  with  the  sight  of  him,  and  they 
assembled  around  him  and  wondered  at  his  apparel;  for  his  apparel  re- 
sembled not  theirs.  And  a  man  of  the  people  of  the  city  said  to  him,  O 
530 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

man,  art  thou  a  stranger?  He  answered,  Yes.  He  said  to  him,  From 
what  country  ?  He  answered,  From  the  fortunate  city  of  Cairo.  He 
said  to  him,  Hast  thou  long  quitted  it?  He  answered  him,  Yesterday  in 
the  afternoon.  And  thereupon  he  laughed  at  him,  and  said,  O  people, 
come  hither  ;  see  this  man,  and  hear  what  he  saith  !  So  they  said,  What 
saith  he  ?  He  answered,  He  asserteth  that  he  is  from  Cairo,  and  that  he 
came  forth  from  it  yesterday  in  the  afternoon.  And  they  all  laughed,  and 
the  people  assembled  around  him,  and  said,  O  man,  art  thou  mad,  that  thou 
sayest  these  words  ?  How  is  it  thou  assertest  that  thou  quittedst  Cairo 
yesterday  in  the  afternoon,  and  foundest  thyself  in  the  morning  here,  when 
between  our  city  and  Cairo  is  a  space  of  a  whole  year's  journey  ?  But 
he  replied,  None  are  mad  but  you  :  and  as  to  me,  I  am  veracious  in  my 
saying,  and  this  is  bread  of  Cairo  :  it  hath  not  ceased  to  remain  with  me 
moist.  And  he  showed  them  the  bread,  and  they  diverted  themselves 
with  looking  at  it,  and  wondered  at  it ;  for  it  resembled  not  the  bread  of 
their  country.  The  crowd  became  numerous  around  him,  and  they  said 
one  to  another,  This  is  bread  of  Cairo.  Divert  yourselves  with  the  sight 
of  it. 

He  became  notorious  in  that  city ;  and  among  the  people,  some  believed 
him,  and  some  belied  and  derided  him  ;  and  while  they  were  in  this  state, 
lo,  a  merchant  advanced  to  them,  riding  upon  a  mule,  and  behind  him  were 
two  black  slaves.     Thereupon  the  people  became  dispersed,  and  he  said, 


The  Merchant  Ali  dispersing  the  people. 


O  people,  are  ye  not  ashamed  of  collecting  around  this  stranger  and  ridi 
culing  him  and  laughing  at  him  ?  What  concern  have  ye  with  him  ?  And 
he  ceased  not  to  revile  them  until  he  drove  them  away  from  him,  no  one 
being  able  to  return  him  a  reply.  He  then  said  to  Marouf,  Come  hither, 
O  my  brother.  No  harm  shall  befall  thee  from  these.  Verily  they  have 
no  shame.  He  took  him  and  proceeded  with  him  until  ho  conducted  him 
into  a  spacious,  decorated  mansion,  and  he  seated  him  in  a  royal  chamber, 
and  gave  orders  to  the  slaves,  who  thereupon  opened  for  him  a  chest,  and 

531 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

took  forth  for  him  a  dress  fit  for  a  merchant  possessing  a  thousand  purses, 
and  he  clad  him  with  it;  and  Marouf  was  a  comely  person  ;  so  he  became 
as  though  he  were  Shah  Bandar  of  the  merchants.  Then  that  merchant 
demanded  the  table  ;  and  they  put  before  them  a  table  containing  every 
description  of  exquisite  viands,  of  all  kinds;  and  they  ate  and  drank;  after 
which  the  merchant  said  to  Marouf,  O  my  brother,  what  is  thy  name  ? 
He  answered,  My  name  is  Marouf;  and  my  trade  is  that  of  a  cobbler  :  I 
mend  old  shoes.  He  said  to  him,  From  what  country  art  thou  ?  He  an- 
swered, From  Cairo.  He  said,  From  what  quarter  ?  Marouf  said  to  him, 
Dost  thou  know  Cairo  1  The  merchant  answered  him,  I  am  of  its  sons. 
So  Marouf  replied,  I  am  from  the  street  el-Ahmar.  The  merchant  said 
to  him,  Whom  dost  thou  know  of  the  street  el-Ahmar  ?  He  answered 
him,  Such  a  one  and  such  a  one.  And  he  enumerated  to  him  many  per- 
sons. The  merchant  said  to  him,  Dost  thou  know  the  Sheikh  Ahmad 
the  druggist  ?  He  answered  him,  He  was  my  neighbor,  wall  adjoining 
wall.  He  said  to  him,  Is  he  well  ?  He  answered,  Yes.  He  said  to  him, 
How  many  children  hath  he  ?  He  answered,  Three  :  Mustapha,  and 
Mohammed,  and  Ali.  He  said  to  him,  What  hath  God  done  with  his 
children  ?  He  answered,  As  to  Mustapha,  he  is  well,  and  he  is  a  learned 
man,  a  professor;  and  as  to  Mohammed,  he  is  a  druggist :  he  hath  opened 
for  himself  a  shop  by  the  side  of  the  shop  of  his  father,  after  having  mar- 
ried, and  his  wife  hath  borne  him  a  son  whose  name  is  Hassan.  And  the 
merchant  said,  May  God  rejoice  thee  with  good  tidings  !  Marouf  then 
said,  And  as  to  Ali,  he  was  my  companion  when  we  were  little  children, 
and  I  used  always  to  play  with  him,  and  we  used  to  go  in  the  garb  of  the 
sons  of  the  Christians,  and  enter  the  church,  and  steal  the  books  of  the 
( christians,  and  sell  them,  and  buy,  with  their  price,  food.     But  it  happened 


532 


Christiana  detecting  Marouf  and  Ali. 


THE  STORY  OF  M-ABOU1'. 

once  that  the  Christians  saw  us,  and  laid  hold  of  us  with  a  book :  so  they 
complained  of  us  to  our  families,  and  said  to  his  father,  If  thou  prevent  not 
thy  son  from  troubling  us,  we  will  complain  of  thee  to  the  king.  And  he 
appeased  them,  and  gave  him  a  beating ;  and,  for  this  reason,  he  fled  im- 
mediately, and  no  way  of  finding  him  was  known.  He  hath  been  absent 
twenty  years,  and  no  one  hath  given  any  tidings  of  him. 

Upon  this,  the  merchant  said  to  him,  He  is  myself,  Ali  the  son  of  the 
Sheikh  Ahmad  the  druggist,  and  thou  art  my  companion,  O  Maroui'. 
They  saluted  each  other,  and,  after  the  salutation,  the  merchant  said  to 
him,  O  Marouf,  acquaint  me  with  the  reason  of  thy  coming  from  Cairo  to 
this  city.  So  he  acquainted  him  with  the  history  of  his  wife  Fatima  el- 
Orra,  and  what  she  had  done  with  him,  and  said  to  him,  When  her  injuri- 
ous conduct  to  me  became  excessive,  I  fled  from  her,  in  the  direction  of 
the  Bab  el-Nasr ;  and  the  rain  descended  upon  me ;  wherefore  I  entered  ti 
ruined  cell  in  the  Adilia,  and  sat  weeping,  and  there  came  forth  to  me  the 
haunter  of  the  place,  who  is  an  Afrite  of  the  Genii,  and  he  questioned  me. 
I  therefore  acquainted  him  with  my  state,  and  he  mounted  me  upon  his 
back,  and  flew  with  me  all  the  night  between  heaven  and  earth  :  then  he 
put  me  down  upon  the  mountain  and  informed  me  of  the  city  ;  so  I  de- 
scended from  the  mountain  and  entered  the  city,  and  the  people  collected 
around  me,  questioning  me ;  and  I  said  to  them,  I  came  forth  yesterday 
from  Cairo.  But  they  believed  me  not.  And  thou  earnest  and  repelledst 
the  people  from  me,  and  broughtest  me  to  this  house.  This  was  the  cause 
of  my  coming  forth  from  Cairo.  And  what  was  the  cause  of  thy  coming 
hither?  He  answered  him,  Folly  overcame  me  when  my  age  was  seven 
years,  and  from  that  time  I  have  been  going  about  from  country  to  country, 
and  from  city  to  city,  until  I  entered  this  city,  the  name  of  which  is  Khitan 
of  Tartary  ;  whereupon  I  saw  its  inhabitants  to  be  generous  people,  endued 
with  compassion,  and  I.  saw  that  they  confided  in  the  poor  man,  and  sold 
to  him  on  credit,  and  whatever  he  said  they  believed  him  respecting  it.  I 
therefore  said  to  them.  I  am  a  merchant,  and  I  have  come  on  before  my 
merchandise,  and  I  desire  a  place  in  which  to  deposit  it.  And  they  be- 
lieved me,  and  appropriated  a  place  to  my  exclusive  use.  Then  I  said  to 
them,  Is  there  among  you  one  who  will  lend  me  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold 
until  my  merchandise  shall  arrive,  when  I  will  return  to  him  what  I  re- 
ceive from  him  ?  For  I  am  in  need  of  some  commodities  before  my  mer- 
chandise will  enter  the  city.  And  they  gave  me  what  I  desired.  I  then 
repaired  to  the  market  of  the  merchants,  and,  seeing  some  goods,  I  bought, 
them  ;  and  on  the  following  day  I  sold  them,  and  gained  by  them  fifty  pieces 
of  gold,  and  bought  other  goods.  I  proceeded  to  associate  with  the  people, 
and  to  treat  them  with  generosity  ;  and  they  loved  me  ;  and  I  betook  my- 
self to  selling  and  buying,  and  my  wealth  became  great.  And  know,  O 
my  brother,  that  the  author  of  the  proverb  saith,  The  world  is  full  of  idle 
boasting  and  artifice.  And  in  the  country  in  which  no  one  knoweth  thee, 
do  whatsoever  thou  wilt.  But  if  thou  say  to  every  one  who  asketh  thee. 
I  am  by  trade  a  cobbler,  and  a  poor  man,  and  I  fled  from  my  wife,  and 
yesterday  I  came  forth  from  Cairo,  they  will  not  believe  thee,  and  thou 
wilt  become  among  them  a  laughing-stock  as  long  as  thou  shalt  remain  in 
this  city.  And  if  thou  say,  An  Afrite  conveyed  me,  they  will  run  away 
from  thee  ID  fear,  and  no  one  will  come  near  thee  :  and  they  will  say,  This 
is  a  man  possessed  by  an  Afrite,  and  whosoever  goeth  near  him,  injury 

5.33 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

will  happen  to  him.     And  this  notoriety  will  be  disgraceful  to  me  and  to 
thee  ;  for  they  know  that  I  am  from  Cairo. 

Marouf  then  said,  And  how  shall  I  act  ?  He  answered,  I  will  teach  thee 
how  thou  shalt  act.  If  it  be  the  will  of  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  I 
will  give  thee  to-morrow  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  a  mule  which  thou 
shalt  ride,  and  a  black  slave  who  shall  walk  before  thee  until  he  shall  con- 
duct thee  to  the  gate  of  the  market  of  the  merchants.  Then  go  in  to  them  ; 
and  I  will  be  sitting  among  the  merchants ;  and  when  I  see  thee,  I  will  rise 
to  thee  and  salute  thee,  and  I  will  kiss  thy  hand  and  honor  thy  station ; 
and  whenever  I  ask  thee  respecting  any  kind  of  stuff,  saying  to  thee,  Hast 
tho  j  brought  with  thee  any  of  such  a  kind  ?  answer,  Abundance ;  and  if 
they  ask  me  respecting  thee,  I  will  praise  thee,  and  magnify  thee  in  their 
eyes.  I  will  then  say  to  them,  Provide  ye  for  him  a  magazine  and  a  shop. 
Ant.  I  will  describe  thee  as  a  person  of  abundant  wealth  and  generosity; 
and  if  a  beggar  come  to  thee,  give  him  what  thou  canst  easily  afford ; 
thereupon  they  will  confide  in  my  words,  and  believe  in  thy  greatness  and 
thy  generosity,  and  they  will  love  thee.  After  that  I  will  invite  thee,  and 
I  will  invite  all  the  merchants  on  thine  account,  and  bring  you  and  them  to- 
gether, that  all  of  them  may  know  thee,  and  that  thou  mayest  know  them, 
in  older  that  thou  mayest  sell  and  buy,  and  take  and  give,  with  them  ;  and 
no  long  period  will  pass  over  thee  before  thou  wilt  become  a  person  of 
wealth.  Accordingly,  when  the  morning  came,  he  gave  him  a  thousand 
pieces  of  gold,  clad  him  in  a  suit  of  apparel,  mounted  him  upon  a  mule, 
and  gave  him  a  black  slave,  saying,  God  acquit  thee  of  responsibility  with 
respect  to  the  whole ;  for  thou  art  my  companion ;  so  to  treat  thee  with 
generosity  is  incumbent  on  me.  Suffer  not  anxiety  ;  but  dismiss  from  thy 
mind  the  subject  of  thy  wife,  and  mention  her  not  to  any  one. 

Marouf,  therefore,  said  to  him,  May  God  recompense  thee  well !  He 
then  mounted  the  mule,  and  the  slave  walked  before  him  until  he  had  con- 
ducted him  to  the  gate  of  the  market  of  the  merchants,  who  were  all  sit- 
ting there,  and  the  merchant  Ali  was  sitting  among  them  :  so  when  he  saw 
him,  he  arose  and  threw  himself  upon  him,  saying  to  him,  A  blessed  day, 
O  merchant  Marouf,  O  man  of  good  works  and  of  kindness !  Then  he 
kissed  his  hand  before  the  merchants,  and  said,  O  our  brothers,  the  mer- 
chant Marouf  hath  delighted  you  by  his  arrival.  They  therefore  saluted 
him,  and  the  merchant  Ali  made  signs  to  them  that  they  should  show  him 
honor :  so  he  was  magnified  in  their  eyes.  His  companion  set  him  down 
from  the  back  of  the  mule,  and  they  saluted  him  again ;  and  the  merchant 
Ali  proceeded  to  go  apart  with  one  of  them  after  another,  and  to  praise 
Marouf  to  him ;  and  they  said  to  him,  Is  this  a  merchant  ?  He  answered 
them,  Yes :  indeed  he  is  the  greatest  of  merchants,  and  there  existeth  not 
any  one  more  wealthy  than  he  ;  for  his  wealth  and  the  wealth  of  his  father 
and  his  forefathers  are  notorious  among  the  merchants  of  Cairo ;  and  he 
hath  partners  in  Hind  and  Sinde,*  and  in  Arabia;  and,  for  generosity,  his 
fame  resteth  on  an  excellent  foundation.  Therefore,  know  his  dignity,  and 
extol  his  rank,  and  serve  him;  aud  know  that  his  coming  to  this  city  is  not 
for  the  sake  of  traffic  ;  for  his  desire  is  for  nothing  but  to  divert  himself  with 
the  sight  of  the  countries  of  the  world  :  because  he  is  not  in  need  of  traveling 
to  foreign  parts  for  the  sake  of  gain  and  profits,  having  wealth  which  fires  can 

*  By  Hind  and  Sinde  the  Arabs  understand  India  generally. 
534 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

not  consume,  and  I  am  of  the  number  of  his  servants.  He  ceased  not  to 
praise  him  until  they  raised  him  above  their  heads,  and  they  proceeded  to 
acquaint  one  another  with  his  qualities.  Then  they  came  together  to  him, 
and  presented  him  with  food  for  breakfast,  and  sherbet.  Even  the  Shah 
Bandar  of  the  merchants  came  to  him  and  saluted  him  ;  and  the  merchant 
Ali  said  to  him,  in  the  presence  of  the  other  merchants,  O  my  master,  prob- 
ably thou  hast  brought  with  thee  some  of  such  a  kind  of  stuff?  So  he  an- 
swered him,  Abundance.  And  on  that  day  the  merchant  Ali  had  shown 
him  the  various  kinds  of  costly  stuffs,  and  taught  him  the  name  of  the 
stuffs,  the  dear  and  the  cheap.  Then  one  of  the  merchants  said  to  him, 
O  my  master,  hast  thou  brought  with  thee  yellow  cloth  ?  He  answered, 
Abundance.  He  said,  And  red,  of  gazelle's  blood  ?*  He  answered,  Abund- 
ance. And  every  time  that  he  asked  him  respecting  any  thing,  he  answered 
him,  Abundance.  So  thereupon  he  said,  O  merchant  Ali,  verily  thy  coun- 
tryman, if  he  desired  to  transport  a  thousand  loads  of  costly  stuffs,  could 
transport  them.  And  he  replied,  He  would  do  so  from  one  of  his  maga- 
zines, and  naught  of  its  contents  would  be  missing. 

And  while  they  were  sitting,  lo,  a  beggar  came  round  to  the  merchants, 
and  some  of  them  gave  him  a  farthing,  and  some  of  them  gave  him  a  pen- 
ny, and  most  of  them  gave  him  not  aught,  until  he  came  to  Marouf,  who 
took  for  him  a  handful  of  gold,  and  gave  him  it.  So  he  prayed  for  him, 
and  departed  ;  and  the  merchants  wondered  thereat,  and  said,  Verily  this 
is  the  gift  of  kings ;  for  he  gave  the  beggar  gold  without  counting  it ;  and 
were  he  not  of  the  persons  of  great  riches,  and  possessing  abundance,  he 
had  not  given  the  beggar  a  handful  of  gold.  And  after  a  while  there  came 
to  him  a  poor  woman;  whereupon  he  took  another  handful,  and  gave  it  to 
her,  and  she  departed,  praying  for  him,  and  told  the  other  poor  persons. 
So  they  advanced  to  him,  one  after  another,  and  for  every  one  who  came 
to  him  he  proceeded  to  take  a  handful  and  to  give  it  him  until  he  had  disburs- 
ed the  thousand  pieces  of  gold  ;  after  which  he  struck  hand  upon  hand,  and 
said,  God  is  our  sufficiency,  and  excellent  is  the  Protector !  So  the  Shah 
Bandar  of  the  merchants  said  to  him,  What  aileth  thee,  O  merchant  Ma- 
rouf? He  answered,  It  seemeth  that  most  of  the  people  of  this  city  are 
poor  and  needy ;  and  if  I  had  known  that  they  were  so,  I  had  brought  with 
me  in  the  saddle-bags  a  large  sum  of  money,  and  given  it  in  alms  to  the 
poor.  I  fear  that  my  absence  from  my  country  may  be  long,  and  it  is  a 
habit  of  my  nature  not  to  reject  the  beggar ;  but  I  have  with  me  no  gold 
remaining:  therefore,  when  a  poor  man  cometh  to  me,  what  shall  I  say  to 
him  1  He  answered  him,  Say  to  him,  God  sustain  thee  !  But  he  replied, 
It  is  not  my  custom,  and  anxiety  hath  come  upon  me  on  account  of  this. 
Would  that  I  had  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold  more,  that  I  might  give  them 
in  alms  until  my  merchandise  come !  So  he  said,  No  harm.  And  he  sent 
one  of  his  dependents,  who  brought  him  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  he 
gave  them  to  him.  Marouf  then  proceeded  to  give  to  every  one  of  the 
poor  who  passed  by  him  until  the  call  to  noon  prayers  was  chanted  ;  where- 
upon they  entered  the  mosque  and  performed  the  noon  prayers,  and  what 
remained  with  him  of  the  thousand  pieces  of  gold  he  scattered  over  the 
heads  of  the  worshipers.  The  attention  of  the  people  was  therefore  drawn 
to  him,  and  they  prayed  for  him,  and  the  merchants  wondered  at  the  abund- 

*  Name  of  deep  red  dye. 

535 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF 


wliWrllll 

j 


Marouf  giving  alms. 

ance  of  his  generosity  and  his  munificence.  He  then  inclined  to  another 
merchant,  and  obtained  from  him  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  distributed 
them  ;  and  the  merchant  Ali  was  observing  his  actions,  but  could  not  speak. 
He  ceased  not  to  do  thus  until  the  call  to  afternoon  prayers  was  chanted, 
when  he  entered  the  mosque  and  prayed,  and  distributed  the  remainder. 
And  they  closed  not  the  gate  of  the  market  until  he  had  received  five 
thousand  pieces  of  gold  and  distributed  them  ;  and  to  every  one  of  whom 
he  had  received  aught,  he  said,  Wait  until  the  merchandise  shall  arrive, 
when,  if  thou  desire  gold,  I  will  give  it  thee,  and  if  thou  desire  stuffs,  I 
will  give  them  thee ;  for  I  have  abundance.  And  in  the  evening  ihe  mer- 
chant Ali  invited  him,  and  he  invited  with  him  all  the  merchants.  He 
seated  him  at  the  upper  end  of  the  apartment,  and  he  talked  not  of  aught 
but  of  stuffs  and  jewels ;  and  whenever  they  mentioned  to  him  any  thing, 
he  said,  I  have  abundance  of  it.  And  on  the  following  day  he  repaired 
again  to  the  market,  and  proceeded  to  incline  to  the  merchants,  obtain  from 
them  money,  and  distribute  it  to  the  poor. 
536 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF 

He  ceased  not  to  do  thus  for  the  space  of  twenty  days,  until  he  had  re- 
ceived from  the  people  sixty  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  there  came  not 
to  him  merchandise  nor  a  burning  plague.  So  the  people  were  clamorous 
for  their  money,  and  said,  The  merchandise  of  the  merchant  Marouf  hath 
not  arrived,  and  how  long  shall  he  take  people's  money  and  give  it  to  the 
poor?  And  one  of  them  said,  My  opinion  is,  that  we  should  speak  with 
his  countryman,  the  merchant  Ali.  Accordingly,  they  came  to  him  and 
said  to  him,  O  merchant  Ali,  the  merchandise  of  the  merchant  Marouf 
hath  not  arrived.  And  he  replied,  Be  ye  patient;  for  it  must  arrive  soon. 
Then  he  had  a  private  interview  with  him,  and  said  to  him,  O  Marouf, 
what  are  these  deeds  ?  Did  I  say  unto  thee,  Toast  the  bread,  or  burn  it  ? 
Verily  the  merchants  have  become  clamorous  for  their  money,  and  have 
informed  me  that  they  have  become  creditors  to  thee  for  sixty  thousand 
pieces  of  gold,  which  thou  hast  received,  and  hast  distributed  to  the  poor. 
And  how  wilt  thou  pay  thy  debt  to  the  people,  when  thou  neither  sellest 
nor  buyest  ?  But  he  replied,  What  will  be  the  consequence,  and  what  are 
the  sixty  thousand  pieces  of  gold  ?  When  the  merchandise  arriveth,  I  will 
give  them,  if  they  will,  stuffs ;  and  if  they  will,  gold  and  silver.  Upon  this 
the  merchant  Ali  said  to  him,  God  is  most  great!  And  hast  thou  mer- 
chandise ?  He  answered,  Abundance.  And  he  said  to  him,  Allah  and  th  5 
saints  requite  thee  and  thy  turpitude !  Did  I  teach  thee  this  saying  in  or- 
der that  thou  shouldst  utter  it  to  me  ?  Now  will  I  inform  the  people  of 
thee.  Marouf  replied,  Go,  without  loquacity.  Am  I  a  poor  man?  Ver- 
ily my  merchandise  compriseth  an  abundance  of  things ;  and  when  it  ar- 
riveth they  shall  receive  double  the  value  of  their  property.  I  am  in  no 
need  of  them.  So  thereupon  the  merchant  Ali  was  enraged,  and  said  to 
him,  O  thou  of  little  good-breeding,  I  will  without  fail  show  thee.  How  is 
it  that  thou  liest  to  me,  and  art  not  ashamed  ?  But  he  replied,  What  thou 
hast  in  thy  power,  do;  and  they  shall  wait  until  my  merchandise  arrive, 
and  shall  receive  their  property  with  addition.  He  therefore  left  him,  and 
departed,  and  he  said  within  himself,  I  praised  him  before;  and  if  I  cen- 
sure him  now,  I  become  a  liar,  and  include  myself  among  those  to  whom 
applieth  the  saying  of  him  who  said,  He  who  praiseth  and  censureth,  lietli 
twice.  And  he  became  perplexed  respecting  his  case.  Then  the  mer- 
chants came  to  him  again,  and  said,  O  merchant  Ali,  hast  thou  spoken  to 
him?  He  answered  them,  O  people,  I  am  abashed  at  him,  and  he  oweth 
me  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  but  1  have  not  been  able  to  speak  to  him  re- 
specting them.  When  ye  gave  him,  ye  consulted  me  not,  and  ye  have 
naught  to  say  to  me.  So  demand  of  him  by  an  application  from  your- 
selves to  him  ;  and  if  he  give  you  not,  complain  of  him  to  the  king  of  the 
city,  and  say  to  him,  He  is  an  impostor,  who  hath  imposed  upon  us;  for 
the  king  will  save  you  from  being  injured  by  him. 

Accordingly,  they  went  to  the  king  and  acquainted  him  with  what  had 
happened,  and  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  we  are  perplexed  respecting  our 
case  with  this  merchant,  whose  generosity  is  excessive  ;  for  he  doth  so  and 
so,  and  every  thing  that  he  recciveth  he  distributeth  to  the  poor  by  tin; 
handful.  Now  if  he  possessed  little,  his  soul  would  not  consent  to  his  tak- 
ing gold  by  the  handful  and  giving  it  to  the  poor;  yet  were  he  of  the  peo- 
ple of  affluence,  his  veracity  had  appeared  to  us  by  the  arrival  of  his  mer- 
chandise, and  we  see  no  merchandise  belonging  to  him,  though  he  asserl- 
eth  that  he  hath  merchandise,  and  that  he  hath  come  on  before  it ;  and 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

whenever  we  mentioned  to  him  any  kind  of  stuff,  he  would  say,  I  have 
abundance  of  it.  A  considerable  period  hath  elapsed  ;  but  no  tidings  of  his 
merchandise  have  come  ;  and  he  hath  become  indebted  to  us  to  the  amount 
of  sixty  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  all  of  which  he  hath  distributed  to  the 
poor.  And  they  proceeded  to  eulogize  him  and  to  praise  his  generosity. 
And  that  king  was  covetous  ;  more  covetous  than  Ashab  :  so  when  he 
heard  of  his  generosity  and  munificence,  covetousness  overcame  him,  and 
he  said  to  his  vizier,  If  this  merchant  did  not  possess  abundant  riches,  all 
this  generous  conduct  would  not  proceed  from  him  ;  his  merchandise  will 
without  fail  arrive ;  and  these  merchants  will  come  together  to  him,  and  he 
will  disperse  among  them  abundant  riches.  But  I  am  more  worthy  of  this 
wealth  than  they  :  therefore  I  desire  to  contract  friendship  with  him,  and 
to  show  an  affection  for  him,  before  his  merchandise  arriveth;  and  what 
these  merchants  will  receive  from  him,  I  shall  receive,  and  I  will  marry  to 
him  my  daughter  and  join  his  wealth  with  mine.  But  the  vizier  replied, 
O  king  of  the  age,  I  imagine  him  not  to  be  aught  but  an  impostor;  and 
the  impostor  hath  ruined  the  house  of  the  covetous.  The  king,  however, 
said  to  him,  O  vizier,  I  will  try  him,  and  know  whether  he  be  an  impostor 
or  veracious,  and  whether  he  have  been  reared  in  affluence  or  not.  The 
vizier  said,  With  what  wilt  thou  try  him  ?  The  king  answered,  1  have  a 
jewel,  and  I  will  send  for  him,  and  cause  him  to  be  brought  to  me;  and 
when  he  hath  seated  himself,  I  will  treat  him  with  honor,  and  give  him 
the  jewel;  and  if  he  know  it,  and  know  its  price,  he  will  be  proved  to  be 
a  person  of  riches  and  affluence ;  but  if  he  know  it  not,  he  will  be  proved 
to  be  an  impostor,  an  upstart,  and  I  will  slay  him  in  the  most  abominable 
maimer. 

Then  the  king  sent  to  him,  and  caused  him  to  be  brought;  and  when  he 
came  in  to  him,  he  saluted  him,  and  the  king  returned  his  salutation  and 
seated  him  by  his  side,  and  said  to  him,  Art  thou  the  merchant  Marouf? 
He  answered,  Yes.  And  the  king  said  to  him,  The  merchants  assert  that 
thou  owest  them  sixty  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  Now  is  that  which  they 
say  true?  He  answered,  Yes.  The  king  said  to  him,  Wherefore  hast 
thou  not  given  to  them  their  money  ?  He  answered,  Let  them  wait  until 
my  merchandise  arriveth,  and  I  will  give  them  double  of  what  I  have  re- 
ceived ;  and  if  they  desire  gold,  I  will  give  it  them ;  and  if  they  desire  sil- 
ver, I  will  give  it  them ;  and  if  they  desire  merchandise,  I  will  give  it  them; 
and  to  him  whom  I  owe  a  thousand  I  will  give  two  thousand  in  return  for 
that  wherewith  he  hath  veiled  my  face  before  the  poor ;  for  I  have  abund- 
ance. The  king  then  said  to  him,  O  merchant,  take  this,  and  see  what  is 
its  kind,  aud  what  is  its  value.  And  he  gave  him  a  jewel  of  the  size  of  a 
hazel-nut,  which  the  king  had  purchased  for  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and 
he  had  not  another,  and  held  it  dear.  So  Marouf  took  it  in  his  hand,  and 
he  pressed  upon  it  with  his  thumb  and  fore  finger,  and  broke  it ;  for  the 
jewel  was  frail,  and  would  not  bear  the  pressure.  The  king  therefore 
said  to  him,  Wherefore  hast  thou  broken  the  jewel  ?  And  lie  laughed,  and 
answered,  O  king  of  the  age,  this  is  not  a  jewel.  This  is  a  piece  of  mineral 
worth  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  How  is  it  that  thou  sayest  of  it  that  it  is 
a  jewel?  Verily  the  jewel  is  of  the  price  of  seventy  thousand  pieces  of 
gold,  and  this  is  only  called  a  piece  of  mineral ;  and  the  jewel  that  is  not 
of  the  size  of  a  hazel-nut  hath  no  value  in  my  estimation,  nor  do  I  care  for 
it.  How  is  it  that  thou  art  a  king,  and  callest  this  a  jewel,  when  it  is  a 
538 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF 


Marouf  showing  the  broken  jewel  to  the  kin 


piece  of  mineral,  the  value  of  which  is  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold  ?  But  ye 
are  excusable,  because  ye  are  poor,  and  have  not  in  your  possession  treas- 
ures that  are  of  value.  So  the  king  said  to  him,  O  merchant,  hast  thou 
jewels  of  the  kind  that  thou  mentionest?  He  answered,  Abundance.  And 
thereupon  covetousness  overcame  the  king,  and  he  said  to  him,  Wilt  thou 
give  me  perfect  jewels  7  He  answered  him,  When  the  merchandise  cometh, 
1  will  give  thee  abundance  ;  whatsoever  thou  desirest,  I  have  abundance 
thereof,  and  I  will  give  thee  without  price.  So  the  king  rejoiced,  and  said 
to  the  merchants,  Go  your  way,  and  be  patient  with  him  until  the  mer- 
chandise arriveth :  then  come,  receive  your  money  from  me.  And  they 
departed.      Such  was  the  case  of  Marouf  and  the  merchants. 

But  as  to  the  king,  he  addressed  the  vizier,  and  said  to  him,  Treat  the 
merchant  Marouf  with  courtesy,  and  take;  and  give  with  him  in  talk,  and 
mention  to  him  my  daughter,  in  order  that  he  may  marry  her,  and  we  may 
gain  these  riches  that  are  in  his  possession.  But  the  vizier  replied,  O  king 
of  the  age,  verily  the  state  of  this  man  hath  not  pleased  me,  and  I  imagine 

539 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF 

that  be  is  an  impostor  and  a  liar.  Therefore  desist  from  these  words,  lest 
thou  lose  thy  daughter  for  naught.  And  the  vizier  had  before  solicited  the 
king  to  marry  to  him  the  damsel,  and  he  desired  to  marry  her  to  him  ;  but 
when  this  was  told  her,  she  consented  not.  So  thereupon  the  king  said  to 
him,  O  deceiver,  thou  dost  not  desire  for  me  good  fortune,  because  thou 
demandedst  my  daughter  in  marriage  before,  but  she  consented  not  to 
marry  thee.  So  now  thou  interceptest  the  way  of  her  marriage,  and  de- 
sirest  that  my  daughter  should  remain  as  a  waste  land,  in  order  that  thou 
mayest  take  her.  But  hear  from  me  this  saying,  Thou  hast  no  concern 
with  these  words.  How  can  he  be  an  impostor,  a  liar,  when  he  knew  the 
price  of  the  jewel,  the  price  at  which  I  purchased  it,  and  broke  it  because 
it  did  not  please  him?  He  hath  many  jewels  ;  and  when  he  introduceth 
himself  to  my  daughter,  he  will  see  her  to  be  beautiful,  and  she  will  capti- 
vate his  reason,  and  he  will  love  her,  and  will  give  her  jewels  and  treas- 
ures. But  thou  desirest  to  prevent  my  daughter,  and  to  prevent  me  from 
obtaining  these  riches.  So  the  vizier  was  silent,  and  feared  the  king's  rage 
against  him,  and  he  said  to  himself,  Set  the  dogs  upon  the  cattle.  Then 
he  inclined  to  the  merchant  Marouf,  and  said  to  him,  His  majesty  the  king 
loveth  thee,  and  he  hath  a  daughter  endowed  with  beauty  and  loveliness, 
whom  he  desireth  to  many  to  thee.  What,  then,  sayest  thou  ?  And  he 
answered  him,  No  harm.  But  let  him  wait  until  my  merchandise  arriveth ; 
for  the  dowry  of  the  daughters  of  the  kings  is  large,  and  their  rank  re- 
quireth  that  they  should  not  be  endowed  save  with  a  dowry  befitting  their 
condition ;  and  at  this  present  time  I  have  not  with  me  wealth.  There- 
fore, let  him  have  patience  with  me  until  the  merchandise  arriveth ;  for  I 
have  abundant  riches,  and  I  must  give  as  her  dowry  five  thousand  purses. 
I  shall  also  require  a  thousand  purses  to  distribute  to  the  poor  and  needy 
on  the  night  of  my  introduction  to  the  bride,  and  a  thousand  purses  to  give 
to  those  who  shall  walk  in  the  marriage  procession,  and  a  thousand  purses 
wherewith  to  prepare  the  viands  for  the  soldiers  and  others ;  and  I  shall 
require  a  hundred  jewels  to  give  to  the  queen  on  the  morning  of  the  wed- 
ding, and  a  hundred  jewels  to  distribute  among  the  female  slaves  and  the 
eunuchs,  giving  each  a  jewel  in  honor  of  the  rank  of  the  bride.  I  shall  re- 
quire, moreover,  to  clothe  a  thousand  naked  persons  among  the  poor,  and 
alms  will  be  indispensable  :  and  this  is  a  thing  that  will  be  impossible  until 
the  merchandise  arriveth.  But  I  have  abundance ;  and  when  the  mer- 
chandise cometh,  I  care  not  for  all  these  expenses. 

The  vizier,  therefore,  went  and  acquainted  the  king  with  that  which  he 
had  said  ;  and  the  king  said,  When  this  is  his  desire,  how  is  it  that  thou 
assertest  of  him  that  he  is  an  impostor,  a  liar  ?  The  vizier  replied,  And  I 
cease  not  to  say  so.  But  the  king  chid  him  angrily,  and  threatened  him, 
and  said  to  him,  By  my  head,  if  thou  desist  not  from  these  words,  T  will 
slay  thee  !  Return,  then,  to  him,  and  bring  him  to  me,  and  I  will  arrange 
with  him.  So  the  vizier  went  to  him  and  said  to  him,  Come  hither;  an- 
swer the  summons  of  the  king.  And  he  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  Then 
he  came  to  him,  and  the  king  said  to  him,  Apologize  not  with  these  ex- 
cuses ;  for  my  treasury  is  full;  therefore,  take  the  keys  into  thy  possession, 
•and  expend  all  that  thou  requirest,  and  give  what  thou  wilt,  and  clothe  the 
poor,  and  do  what  thou  desirest,  and  mind  not  for  the  damsel  and  the  fe- 
male slaves.  But  when  thy  merchandise  arriveth,  show  what  generosity 
thou  wilt  to  thy  wife,  and  we  will  have  patience  with  thee  for  her  dowry 
540 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

until  the  merchandise  arriveth,  and  there  shall  never  be  any  difference  be- 
tween me  and  thee.  He  then  ordered  the  Sheikh  el-Islam  to  perform  the 
ceremony  of  the  marriage  contract.  So  he  performed  the  ceremony  of  the 
contract  of  the  marriage  of  the  king's  daughter  to  the  merchant  Marouf. 
The  king  commenced  the  celebration  of  the  festivity,  and  gave  orders  to 
decorate  the  city,  and  the  drums  were  beaten,  and  the  tables  of  viands 
were  spread  with  all  kinds  of  dishes,  and  the  performers  of  sports  came. 
The  merchant  Marouf  sat  upon  a  throne  in  a  saloon,  and  the  performers 
of  sports,  and  the  exhibiters  of  cunning  tricks,  and  the  dancers,  and  the 
performers  of  extraordinary  arts  and  wonderful  games  were  disposed  in 


Marouf  viewing  the  sports. 


order  before  him,  and  he  proceeded  to  order  the  treasurer,  and  to  say  to 
him,  Bring  the  gold  and  silver.  Accordingly,  he  brought  him  the  gold  and 
the  silver,  and  Marouf  went  round  among  the  people  who  were  diverting 
themselves,  and  gave  to  every  one  who  played  by  the  handful,  and  be- 

541 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

Btowed  alms  on  the  poor  and  needy,  and  clad  the  naked,  and  it  was  a  noisy 
festivity.  The  treasurer  had  not  time  to  bring  the  money  from  the  treas- 
ury, and  the  heart  of  the  vizier  almost  burst  with  rage  ;  but  he  could  not 
speak.  The  merchant  Ali  also  wondered  at  the  squandering  of  this  wealth, 
and  said  to  the  merchant  Marouf,  May  Allah  and  the  saints  retaliate  upon 
thy  temple !  Hath  it  not  sufficed  thee  that  thou  hast  wasted  the  money 
of  the  merchants,  but  thou  wilt  also  waste  the  money  of  the  king?  But 
the  merchant  Marouf  answered  him,  Thou  hast  no  concern  with  it ;  and 
when  the  merchandise  arriveth,  I  will  compensate  the  king  for  this  with 
double  its  value.  And  he  proceeded  to  scatter  the  money,  and  to  say 
within  himself,  A  burning  plague  !  What  will  happen  will  happen ;  and 
from  that  which  is  predestined  there  is  no  escape. 

The  festivity  ceased  not  for  the  space  of  forty  days ;  and  on  the  one-and- 
fortieth  day  they  made  the  procession  for  the  bride.  All  the  emirs  and  the 
soldiers  walked  before  her ;  and  when  they  entered  with  her,  Marouf  scat- 
tered gold  over  the  heads  of  the  people.  They  made  for  her  a  magnificent 
procession,  and  Marouf  expended  a  vast  quantity  of  wealth.  They  intro- 
duced him  to  the  queen,  and  he  sat  upon  the  high  mattress,  and  they  let 
down  the  curtains,  and  closed  the  doors,  and  went  forth,  leaving  him  with  the 
bride.  And  thereupon  he  smote  hand  upon  hand,  and  sat  sorrowful  for  some 
time,  striking  palm  upon  palm,  and  saying,  There  is  no  strength  nor  power 
but  in  God,  the  High,  the  Great!  So  the  queen  said  to  him,  O  my  lord, 
Allah  preserve  thee!  What  aileth  thee,  that  thou  art  sorrowful?  And  he 
replied,  How  can  I  be  otherwise  than  sorrowful  when  thy  father  hath  dis- 
quieted me,  and  done  to  me  a  deed  like  the  burning  of  the  green  corn  ? 
She  said,  And  what  hath  my  father  done  to  thee  ?  Tell  me.  He  an- 
swered, He  hath  introduced  me  to  thee  before  my  merchandise  hath  ar- 
rived, and  I  desired  at  least  a  hundred  jewels  to  distribute  among  thy 
female  slaves,  to  each  one  a  jewel,  that  she  might  rejoice  in  it,  and  say,  My 
lord  gave  me  a  jewel  on  the  night  of  his  introduction  to  my  lady;  and  this 
good  deed  would  have  been  an  act  of  honor  to  thy  rank,  and  have  increased 
thy  glory ;  for  I  am  not  deficient  in  lavishing  jewels,  having  of  them  an 
abundance.  But  she  said  to  him,  Be  not  anxious  for  that,  nor  grieve  thy- 
self for  this  reason.  As  to  myself,  thou  hast  no  blame  to  fear  from  me  ; 
for  I  will  have  patience  with  thee  until  the  merchandise  arriveth ;  and  as 
to  the  female  slaves,  thou  hast  naught  to  care  for  on  their  account.  So  he 
was  appeased.  And  on  the  following  morning  he  entered  the  bath  and 
put  on  a  suit  of  the  apparel  of  kings,  and,  having  gone  forth  from  the  bath, 
entered  the  king's  council  chamber  ;  whereupon  those  who  were  in  it  rose 
to  him  upon  their  feet,  and  received  him  with  respect  and  honor,  and  con- 
gratulated him,  and  blessed  him.  He  sat  by  the  side  of  the  king,  and  said, 
Where  is  the  treasurer  ?  They  answered,  Lo,  he  is  here  before  thee. 
And  he  said,  Bring  the  robes  of  honor,  and  invest  all  the  viziers,  and  the 
emirs,  and  the  men  of  office.  Accordingly,  he  brought  him  all  that  he  de- 
manded, and  he  sat  giving  to  every  one  who  came  to  him,  and  presenting 
to  every  man  according  to  his  rank. 

Ho  continued  in  this  state  for  the  space  of  twenty  days,  and  there  ap- 
peared not  any  merchandise  belonging  to  him,  nor  aught  else.  Then  the 
treasurer  became  straitened  by  him  to  the  utmost  degree,  and  he  went  in 
to  the  king  in  the  absence  of  Marouf,  when  the  king  was  sitting  with  the 
vizier,  and  no  one  besides,  and  he  kissed  the  ground  before  him,  and  said, 
542 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

O  king  of  the  age,  I  will  acquaint  thee  with  a  thing ;  for  perhaps  thou 
wouldst  blame  me  for  not  acquainting  thee   therewith.      Know  that  the 
treasury  hath  become  almost  empty  ;  there  remaineth  not  in  it  any  money, 
except  a  small  quautity,  and  after  ten  days  we  shall  close  it,  empty.     So 
the  king  said,  O  vizier,  verily  the  merchandise  of  my  son-in-law  hath  been 
backward  in  coming,  and  no  tidings  of  it  hath  appeared.     And  the  vizier 
laughed,  and  said  to  him,  May  God  be  gracious  to  thee,  O  king  of  the  age  ! 
Thou  art  none  other  than  a  careless  person  with  respect  to  the  conduct 
of  this  impostor  and  liar.     By  thy  head,  there  is  no  merchandise  belonging 
to  him,  nor  a  plague  to  relieve  us  of  him  ;  but  he  hath  only  incessantly  im- 
posed upon  thee  until  he  hath  consumed  thy  wealth,  and  married  thy 
daughter  for  nothing.     And  how  long  wilt  thou  be  heedless  of  this  liar  ? 
The  king  thereupon  said  to  him,  O  vizier,  how  shall  we  act,  that  we  may 
know  the  truth  of  his  state  ?     Aud  he  answered,  O  king  of  the  age,  no  one 
will  become  acquainted  with  the  man's  secret  except  his  wife.     Therefore 
send  to  thy  daughter,  desiring  that  she  may  come  behind  the  curtain,  in 
order  that  I  may  ask  her  respecting  the  truth  of  his  state,  so  that  she  may 
examine  him  and  acquaint  us  with   his  state.      And  he   replied,  There 
will  be  no  harm  in  that.     By  my  head,  if  it  be  proved  that  he  is  an  im- 
postor, a  liar,  I  will  surely  slay  him  in  the  most  unfortunate  manner  !     He 
then  took  the  vizier,  and  entered  with  him  into  the  sitting  chamber,  and 
sent  to  his  daughter.     So  she   came  behind  the  curtain  ;   and  this  was 
during  the  absence  of  her  husband  ;   and  when  she  came,  she  said,  O  my 
father,  what  dost  thou  desire  ?     He  answered,  Speak  to  the  vizier.     Ac- 
cordingly, she  said,  O  vizier,  what  wouldst  thou  ?     He  answered,  O  my 
mistress,  know  that  thy  husband  hath  consumed  the  wealth  of  thy  father, 
and  he  hath  married  thee  without  giving  a  dowry,  and  hath  not  ceased  to 
promise  us  and  to  break  his  promise;  no  tidings  of  his  merchandise  have 
appeared;  and,  in  short,  we  desire  that  thou  wouldst  inform  us  respecting 
him.     She   replied,  Verily,  his  words   are   many,  and   he    is   constantly 
coming  and   promising  me  jewels,  and  treasures,  and  costly  stuffs;  but  I 
have  seeu   nothing.     And  he  said,  O  my  mistress,  canst  thou  this  night 
take  and  give  with  him  in  talk,  and  say  to  him,  Acquaint  me  with  the 
truth,  and  fear  nothing ;  for  thou  hast  become  my  husband,  and  I  will  not 
be  neglectful  of  thee  :  so  acquaint  me  with  the  truth  of  the  case,  and  I  will 
contrive  for  thee  a  plan  by  which  thou  shalt  be  made  happy  ?     After  that, 
use  nearness  and  remoteness  of  speech  to  him,  and  make  a  show  of  affec- 
tion to  him,  and  induce  him  to  confess  ;   and  then  acquaint  us  with  the 
truth  of  his  case.     And  she  said,  O  my  father,  1  know  how  to  examine  him. 
She  then  departed;  and  after  nightfall  her  husband  Marouf  came  in  to 
her,  according  to  his  custom.     So  she  rose  to  him,  and  took  him  with  her 
hand  beneath  his  armpit,  and  beguiled  him  with  excessive  guile.     (Aud 
sufficient  is  the  guile  of  women  when  they  have  to  request  of  men  any 
thing  of  which  they  desire  the  accomplishment.)     She  ceased  not  to  be- 
guile  him  and  to  coax  him  with  speech  sweeter  than  honey,  until  she  stole 
his  reason ;  and  when  she  saw  that  he  had  inclined  to  her  entirely,  she 
said  to  him,  O  my  beloved,  O  delight  of  my  eye,  O  joy  of  my  heart,  may 
God  not  make  me  desolute  by  thine  absence,  nor  time  make  a  separation 
between  me  and  thee  !  for  affection  for  thee  hath  taken  up  its  abode  in  my 
heart,  and  the  fire  of  desire  for  thee  hath  burned  my  liver,  and  there  can 
be  no  neglect  of  thee  ever.     But  I  desire  that  thou  wouldst  acquaiut  me 

543 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF 


The  princess  caressing  Marouf. 

with  the  truth  ;  for  the  stratagems  of  falsehood  are  not  profitable,  nor  do 
they  gain  credit  on  all  occasions.  How  long  wilt  thou  impose  and  lie  to  my 
father?  I  fear  that  thy  case  will  be  exposed  to  my  father  before  we  con- 
trive a  stratagem  to  avoid  it,  and  that  he  will  lay  violent  hands  upon  thee. 
Acquaint  me,  then,  with  the  truth,  and  thou  shalt  experience  naught  but 
what  will  rejoice  thee.  When  thou  shalt  have  acquainted  me  with  the 
truth  of  the  case,  thou  shalt  fear  nothing  that  would  injure  thee.  How 
often  wilt  thou  assert  that  thou  art  a  merchant,  and  a  person  of  riches,  and 
that  thou  hast  merchandise  ?  A  long  period  hath  passed  during  which 
thou  hast  been  saying,  My  merchandise,  my  merchandise ;  but  no  tidings 
of  thy  merchandise  have  appeared  ;  and  anxiety  is  manifest  in  thy  coun- 
tenance on  this  account.  Now,  if  thy  words  have  no  truth,  inform  me, 
and  I  will  contrive  for  thee  a  plan  by  means  of  which  thou  shalt  be  safe,  if 
it  be  the  will  of  God.  And  he  replied,  O  my  mistress,  I  will  acquaint  thee 
with  the  truth,  and  whatever  thou  wilt,  do.  So  she  rejoined,  Say,  and 
take  care  to  be  veracious ;  for  veracity  is  the  ship  of  safety  :  and  beware 
of  falsehood  ;  for  it  disgraceth  its  speaker.  Divinely  gifted  was  he  who 
said, 

Take  care  to  be  veracious,  even  though  veracity  should  cause  thee  to  he  burned 

with  the  threatened  fire  ; 
And  seek  God's  approval ;  for  the  silliest  of  men  is  he  who  angereth  the  Lord  and 

pleaseth  his  servants. 
544 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

And  he  said,  O  my  mistress,  know  that  I  am  not  a  merchant,  and  I  have 
neither  merchandise  nor  a  burning  plague.  But  in  my  country  I  was  only 
a  cobbler,  and  I  have  a  wife  whose  name  is  Fatima  el-Orra,  and  such  and 
such  things  happened  to  me  with  her.  And  he  acquainted  her  with  the 
story  from  its  commencement  to  its  end. 

Upon  this  she  laughed,  and  said,  Verily  thou  art  skillful  in  the  art  of 
lying  and  imposition  !  He  replied,  O  my  mistress,  may  God  (whose  name 
be  exalted!)  preserve  thee  to  veil  faults  and  dissolve  griefs!  And  she 
said,  Know  that  thou  hast  imposed  upon  my  father,  and  deceived  him  by 
the  abundance  of  thine  idle  boasting,  so  that  he  hath  married  me  to  thee 
by  reason  of  his  covetousness.  Then  thou  consumedst  his  wealth ;  and 
the  vizier  suspecteth  thee  for  this  conduct ;  and  how  often  doth  he  speak 
of  thee  before  my  father,  saying  to  him,  Verily  he  is  an  impostor,  a  liar ! 
But  my  father  hath  not  complied  with  that  which  he  hath  said,  because  he 
had  demanded  me  in  marriage,  and  I  consented  not  that  he  should  be  to 
me  a  husband,  and  that  I  should  be  to  him  a  wife.  Then  the  time  became 
tedious,  and  my  father  had  become  straitened,  and  he  said  to  me,  Make 
him  confess.  And  I  have  made  thee  confess,  and  what  was  covered  hath 
become  exposed.  Now  my  father  is  purposing  mischief  to  thee  on  this 
account ;  but  thou  hast  become  my  husband,  and  I  will  not  neglect  thee. 
For  if  I  informed  my  father  of  this  news,  it  would  be  proved  to  him  that 
thou  art  an  impostor,  a  liar,  and  that  thou  hast  imposed  upon  the  daughters 
of  kings,  and  squandered  away  their  riches ;  and  thine  offense  would  not 
be  forgiven  by  him,  but  he  would  slay  thee  without  doubt,  and  it  would 
become  published  among  the  people  that  I  had  married  a  man  who  was  an 
impostor,  a  liar,  and  thou  wouldst  be  a  cause  of  disgrace  to  me.  More- 
over, if  my  father  slew  thee,  probably  he  would  desire  to  marry  me  to 
another,  and  this  is  a  thing  to  which  I  would  not  consent  even  if  I  were  to 
die  for  refusing.  But  arise  now,  and  put  on  the  dress  of  a  mamlouk,  and 
take  with  thee  fifty  thousand  pieces  of  gold  of  my  wealth ;  then  mount 
upon  a  courser,  and  journey  to  a  country  to  which  the  rule  of  my  father 
doth  not  reach.  There  trade  as  a  merchant,  and  write  to  me  a  letter,  and 
send  it  by  a  courier  who  will  bring  it  to  me  privately,  that  I  may  know  in 
what  country  thou  ait,  in  order  that  I  may  send  to  thee  all  that  my  hand 
can  procure.  Thus  thy  wealth  will  become  abundant;  and  if  my  father 
die,  I  will  send  to  thee,  and  thou  shalt  come  with  respect  and  honor ;  and 
if  thou  die,  or  I  die,  departing  to  receive  the  mercy  of  God  (whose  name 
be  exalted  !),  the  day  of  resurrection  will  unite  us.  This  is  the  right  plan  ; 
and  as  long  as  thou  continuest  well  and  I  continue  well,  I  will  not  cease  to 
send  thee  letters  and  riches.  Arise  before  the  daylight  cometh  upon  thee, 
and  thou  art  perplexed,  and  destruction  environeth  thee.  So  he  said  to 
her,  O  my  mistress,  I  throw  myself  upon  thy  generosity,  begging  thee  to 
bid  me  farewell  with  an  embrace.  And  she  replied,  No  harm.  He  then 
embraced  her,  and  put  on  the  dress  of  a  mamlouk,  and  ordered  the  grooms 
to  saddle  for  him  a  swift  courser.  They  therefore  saddled  for  him  a 
courser,  and  he  bade  farewell  to  his  wife,  and  went  forth  from  the  city  at 
the  close  of  the  night,  and  departed,  every  one  who  saw  him  imagining  that 
he  was  one  of  the  mamlouks  of  the  sultan  going  on  a  journey  for  the  ac- 
complishment of  some  affair. 

And  when  the  morning  arrived,  her  father  came  with  the  vizier  to  the 
sitting  chamber,  and  her  father  sent  to  her.     So  she  came  behind  the 

515 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF 


Marouf  bidding  farewell  to  his  wife. 


curtain,  and  her  father  said  to  her,  O  my  daughter,  what  sayest  thou  ? 
She  answered,  I  say,  May  God  blacken  the  face  of  thy  vizier !  For  he 
desired  to  blacken  my  face  in  the  eyes  of  my  husband.  And  how  so  ?  said 
the  king.  She  answered,  He  came  in  to  me  yesterday,  before  I  men- 
tioned to  him  these  words,  and  lo,  Faraj  the  eunuch  came  in  to  me  with 
a  letter  in  his  hand,  and  he  said,  Ten  mamlouks  are  standing  beneath  the 
window  of  the  palace,  and  they  gave  me  this  letter,  and  said  to  me,  Kiss 
for  us  the  hands  of  our  master  Marouf  the  merchant,  and  give  him  this 
letter,  for  we  are  of  his  mamlouks  who  are  with  the  merchandise,  aud  it 
hath  been  told  us  that  he  hath  married  the  daughter  of  the  king ;  so  we 
have  come  to  him  to  acquaint  him  with  the  events  that  have  happened  to 
us  on  the  way.  And  I  took  the  letter  and  read  it,  aud  saw  in  it,  From  the 
five  hundred  mamlouks,  to  the  possessor  of  dignity,  our  master,  the  mer- 
chant Marouf.  To  proceed.  The  news  wherewith  we  acquaint  thee  is 
this.  After  thou  leftest  us,  the  Arabs  came  forth  against  us,  and  fought 
with  us,  and  they  were  two  hundred  horsemen,  while  we  were  five  hund- 
red mamlouks ;  and  a  severe  contest  ensued  between  us  aud  the  Arabs. 
546 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

They  prevented  our  pursuing  the  way,  and  thirty  days  elapsed  while  we 
were  contending  with  them,  and  this  was  the  cause  of  our  being  behind 
the  time  in  coming  to  thee.  They  have  taken  from  us  two  hundred  loads 
of  stuffs,  forming  part  of  the  merchandise,  and  killed  of  us  fifty  mamlouks. 
And  when  the  news  came  to  him,  he  said,  May  Allah  disappoint  them  ! 
Wherefore  should  they  contend  with  the  Arabs  for  the  sake  of  two  hund- 
red loads  of  merchandise  ?  And  what  are  two  hundred  loads  ?  It  was 
not  expedient  for  them  to  delay  on  that  account;  for  the  value  of  the  two 
hundred  loads  is  but  seven  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  But  it  is  requisite 
that  I  go  to  them  and  hasten  them ;  and  as  to  what  the  Arabs  have  taken, 
the  merchandise  will  not  be  the  less  for  it,  nor  will  it  make  any  impression 
upon  me,  and  I  will  reckon  as  though  I  had  bestowed  it  in  alms  upon  them. 
Then  he  descended  from  me,  laughing,  and  grieved  not  for  what  was  lost 
of  his  wealth,  nor  for  the  slaughter  of  his  mamlouks ;  and  when  he  de- 
scended, I  looked  from  the  window  of  the  palace,  and  saw  that  the  ten 
mamlouks  who  brought  him  the  letter  were  like  moons,  each  one  of  them 
wearing  a  suit  of  apparel  worth  two  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and  that  there 
was  not  in  the  possession  of  my  father  a  mamlouk  resembling  one  of  them. 
He  then  repaired  with  the  mamlouks  who  brought  him  the  letter,  in  order 
that  he  might  bring  his  merchandise.  And  praise  be  to  God  who  prevented, 
me  from  mentioning  to  him  aught  of  the  words  which  thou  orderedst  me 
to  say  !  For  he  would  have  derided  me  and  thee,  and  probably  he  would 
have  looked  upon  me  with  the  eye  of  disparagement,  and  would  have 
hated  me.  But  the  fault  is  wholly  in  thy  vizier,  who  speaketh  against  my 
husband  words  not  suitable  to  him.  So  the  king  said,  O  my  daughter, 
verily  the  wealth  of  thy  husband  is  abundant,  and  he  thinketh  not  of  it ; 
and  from  the  day  that  he  entered  our  country  he  hath  been  constantly 
bestowing  alms  on  the  poor.  If  it  be  the  will  of  God,  he  will  soon  come 
with  the  merchandise,  and  abundant  good  fortune  will  betide  us  from  him. 
He  proceeded  to  appease  her  mind,  and  to  threaten  the  vizier,  and  the 
stratagem  deceived  him. 

But  as  to  the  merchant  Marouf,  he  mounted  the  courser,  and  proceeded 
over  the  desert  tract,  perplexed,  not  knowing  to  what  country  to  go ;  and 
by  reason  of  the  pain  of  separation,  he  moaned,  and  he  suffered  ecstasy 
and  afflictions,  and  recited  some  verses ;  after  which  he  wept  violently. 
The  ways  were  obstructed  in  his  face,  and  he  preferred  death  above  life. 
Then  he  went  like  one  intoxicated,  through  the  violence  of  his  perplexity, 
and  ceased  not  to  proceed  until  the  hour  of  noon,  when  he  approached 
a  village,  and  saw  a  plowman  near  it,  plowing  with  a  yoke  of  bulls ;  and 
hunger  had  violently  affected  him;  so  he  went  to  the  plowman  and  said 
to  him,  Peace  be  on  thee  !  And  he  returned  his  salutation,  and  said, 
"Welcome  to  thee,  O  my  master !  Art  thou  of  the  mamlouks  of  the  sultan  ? 
He  answered,  Yes.  And  ho  said,  Alight  here  with  me  for  entertainment. 
He  therefore  knew  that  he  was  of  the  liberal ;  but  lie  said  to  him,  O  my 
brother,  I  see  not  with  thee  any  thing  wherewith  thou  canst  feed  me.  How 
is  it,  then,  that  thou  invitest  me  ?  The  plowman  answered,  O  my  master, 
good  things  are  at  hand.  Alight  thou  ;  and  behold,  the  village  is  near;  so 
I  will  go  and  bring  thee  dinner,  and  fodder  for  thy  horse.  Marouf  replied, 
Since  the  village  is  near,  1  shall  arrive  at  it  in  the  same  time  in  which  thou 
wouldst  arrive  there,  and  I  will  buy  what  I  desire  from  the  market,  and 
eat.     But  he  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  verily  the  village  is  a  hamlet,  and 

547 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF 


3t  "^ftT^fe 


Mau  at  the  plow. 


there  is  not  in  it  a  market,  nor  selling  nor  buying.  I  conjure  thee,  by  Allah, 
that  thou  alight  here  with  me  and  comfort  my  heart;  and  I  will  go  thither, 
and  will  return  to  thee  quickly.  So  he  alighted,  and  the  peasant  left  him, 
and  went  to  the  village  to  bring  him  the  dinner.  Marouf  therefore  sat 
waiting  for  him.  Then  he  said  within  himself,  Verily  we  have  diverted 
this  poor  man  from  his  work;  but  I  will  arise  and  plow  in  his  stead,  until 
he  come,  to  compensate  for  my  having  hindered  him  from  his  work. 

Accordingly,  he  took  the  plow,  and  drove  on  the  bulls,  and  plowed  a 
little;  and  the  plow  struck  against  something,  whereupon  the  beasts 
stopped.  So  he  urged  them ;  but  they  could  not  proceed  ;  and  he  looked 
at  the  plow,  and  saw  that  it  was  caught  in  a  ring  of  gold.  He  therefore 
removed  from  it  the  earth,  and  he  found  that  ring  to  be  in  the  middle  of  a 
stone  of  alabaster,  of  the  size  of  the  lower  stone  of  a  mill ;  and  he  labor- 
ed at  it  until  he  pulled  it  up  from  its  place,  when  there  appeared  beneath 
it  a  subterranean  place  with  stairs  ;  and  he  descended  those  stairs,  and  saw 
a  place  like  a  bath,  with  four  Moors.  The  first  floor  was  full  of  gold,  from 
the  floor  to  the  roof ;  and  the  second  floor  was  full  of  emeralds,  and  pearls, 
and  coral,  from  the  floor  to  the  roof;  and  the  third  floor  was  full  of  jacinths, 
and  balass  rubies,  and  turquoises  ;  and  the  fourth  floor  was  full  of  diamonds 
and  precious  minerals  of  all  kinds  of  jewels.  Also,  at  the  upper  end  of 
that  place  was  a  chest  of  clear  crystal,  full  of  incomparable  jewels,  each 
jewel  of  them  being  of  the  size  of  a  hazel-nut ;  and  upon  that  chest  was  a 
little  box  of  the  size  of  a  lemon,  and  it  was  of  gold.  So  when  he  beheld 
this,  he  wondered,  and  rejoiced  exceedingly ;  and  he  said,  What  can  be  in 
this  little  box  ?  Then  he  opened  it,  and  he  saw  in  it  a  seal-ring  of  gold,  on 
which  were  engraved  names  and  talismans,  like  the  marks  made  by  the 
creeping  of  ants.  And  he  rubbed  the  seal-ring  ;  and  lo,  a  speaker  said,  At 
thy  service!  at  thy  service!  O  my  master!  Demand,  then,  and  thou 
shalt  receive.  Dost  thou  desire  to  build  a  town,  or  to  ruin  a  city,  or  to 
slay  a  king,  or  to  dig  a  river,  or  any  thing  of  that  kind  !  For  whatsoever 
thou  demandest,  it  will  happen,  by  permission  of  the  Almighty  King,  the 
548 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 


Aboulsadat  appearing  to  Marouf. 


Creator  of  the  night  and  the  day.  So  he  said  to  him,  O  creature  of  my 
Lord,  who  art  thou,  and  what  m.iyest  thou  be  ?  He  answered,  I  am  the 
servant  of  this  seal-ring,  acting  in  the  service  of  its  possessor  ;  and  whatever 
object  of  desire  he  demandeth,  1  accomplish  it  for  him  ;  and  there  is  no 
excuse  for  my  neglecting  what  he  commantleth  me  to  do;  for  I  am  sultan 
over  the  tribes  of  the  Genii,  and  the  number  of  my  troops  is  two-and-sev- 
enty  tribes.  The  number  of  each  tribe  is  two-and-seventy  thousand,  and 
every  one  of  the  thousand  ruloth  over  a  thousand  Marids,  and  each  Marid 
ruleth  over  a  thousand  Genii,  and  every  Genie  ruleth  over  a  thousand  Dev- 
ils, and  every  Devil  ruleth  over  a  thousand  Genii,  and  all  of  them  are  under 
my  authority,  and  they  are  unable  to  disobey  me.  But  I  am  bound  by  en- 
chantment to  this  seal-ring,  and  I  can  not  disobey  him  who  possesseth  it. 
Lo,  thou  hast  possessed  it,  and  I  have  become  thy  servant.  Demand,  then, 
what  thou  wilt;  for  I  will  hear  thy  saying  and  obey  thy  command;  and 
when  thou  requirest  me  at  any  time,  on  land  or  on  the  sea,  rub  the  seal-ring, 
find  thou  wilt  find  mn  with  then.      But  beware  of  rubbing  it  twice  snccess- 

549 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

ively ;  for  thou  wouldst  burn  me  with  the  fire  of  the  names  [engraved 
thereon],  and  lose  me,  and  repent  for  me  after  that.  Now  I  have  ac- 
quainted thee  with  my  state  ;  and  peace  be  on  thee ! 

Upon  this  Marouf  said  to  him,  What  is  thy  name  ?  He  answered,  My 
name  is  Aboulsadat.  And  he  said  to  him,  O  Aboulsadat,  what  is  this  place, 
and  who  enchanted  thee  in  this  little  box  ?  He  answered,  O  my  master, 
this  place  is  a  treasure,  called  the  treasure  of  Sheddad  the  son  of  Ad,  who 
constructed  Irem,  the  like  of  which  hath  not  been  made  in  the  countries 
of  the  earth.  I  was  his  servant  during  his  life,  and  this  was  his  seal-ring, 
and  he  deposited  it  in  his  treasure  ;  but  it  is  thy  lot.  Marouf  then  said  to 
him,  Canst  thou  take  forth  what  is  in  this  treasure  and  place  it  on  the  face 
of  the  earth?  He  answered,  Yes  ;  it  will  be  the  easiest  of  actions.  And 
Marouf  said,  Take  forth  all  that  is  in  it,  and  leave  not  of  it  aught.  And  he 
made  a  sign  with  his  hand  toward  the  ground,  whereupon  it  clove  asunder. 
Then  he  descended,  and  was  absent  a  little  while ;  and  lo,  young,  elegant 
boys,  with  beautiful  faces,  came  forth  carrying  baskets  of  gold,  and  those 
baskets  were  full  of  gold,  and  they  emptied  them ;  after  which  they  went 
and  brought  more ;  and  they  ceased  not  to  transport  the  gold  and  jewels, 
and  not  more  than  a  short  time  had  elapsed  when  they  said,  There  re- 
maineth  not  in  the  treasure  aught.  Upon  this  Aboulsadat  came  up  to  him, 
and  said  to  him,  O  my  master,  thou  hast  seen  that  we  have  transported  all 
that  was  in  the  treasure.  And  he  said  to  him,  What  are  these  beautiful 
boys  ?  He  answered,  These  are  my  children ;  for  this  work  deserved  not 
that  I  should  collect  for  it  the  Genii,  and  my  children  have  accomplished 
thine  affair,  and  have  been  honored  by  serving  thee.  Now  demand  what 
thou  desirest  besides  this.  So  he  said  to  him,  Canst  thou  bring  me  mules 
and  chests,  and  put  these  riches  into  the  chests,  and  place  the  chests  upon 
the  mules  ?  He  answered,  This  will  be  the  easiest  affair  that  can  be. 
Then  he  uttered  a  great  cry,  whereupon  his  children  presented  themselves 
before  him  ;  and  they  were  eight  hundred.  And  he  said  to  them,  Let 
some  of  you  become  transformed  into  the  semblance  of  mules,  and  some 
of  you  into  the  semblance  of  beautiful  mamlouks,  such  that  the  like  of  the 
least  of  them  existeth  not  in  the  possession  of  any  of  the  kings,  and  some 
of  you  into  the  semblance  of  those  who  let  out  beasts  of  burden,  and  some 
of  you  into  the  semblance  of  servants.  And  they  did  as  he  had  commanded 
them;  after  which  he  called  out  to  the  Genii,  who  presented  themselves 
before  him,  and  he  ordered  them  that  some  of  them  should  become  trans- 
formed into  the  semblance  of  horses  saddled  with  saddles  of  gold  set  with 
jewels.  And  when  Marouf  beheld  this,  he  said,  Where  are  the  chests  ? 
They  therefore  brought  them  before  him.  And  he  said,  Pack  the  gold 
and  the  minerals,  each  kind  by  itself.  So  they  packed  them,  and  put  them 
upon  three  hundred  mules.  And  Marouf  said,  O  Aboulsadat,  canst  thou 
bring  me  loads  of  precious  stuffs  ?  He  asked,  Dost  thou  desire  Egyptian 
stuffs,  or  Syrian,  or  Persian,  or  Indian,  or  Greek  ?  He  answered,  Bring 
of  the  stuffs  of  each  country  a  hundred  loads  upon  a  hundred  mules.  He 
replied,  O  my  master,  grant  me  a  delay,  until  I  arrange  my  servants  for 
that  purpose,  and  order  each  company  to  go  to  a  country  in  order  to  bring 
a  hundred  loads  of  its  stuffs,  and  they  shall  become  transformed  into  the 
semblance  of  mules,  and  come  carrying  the  goods.  Marouf  said,  What 
shall  be  the  period  of  delay  ?  He  answered,  The  period  of  the  black- 
ness of  the  night;  for  the  daylight  shall  not  arise  without  thy  having 
550 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

with  thee  all  that  thou  desirest.     And  he  said,  I  grant  thee  this  period  of 
delay. 

He  then  commanded  them  to  pitch  for  him  a  tent.  So  they  pitched  it, 
and  he  seated  himself,  and  they  brought  him  a  table  of  viands  ;  and  Aboul- 
sadat  said  to  him,  O  my  mastei-,  sit  in  the  tent,  and  these  my  children  are 
before  thee  to  guard  thee;  therefore  fear  not  aught;  and  I  am  going  to 
collect  my  slaves,  and  send  them  to  accomplish  thine  affair.  Then  Aboul- 
saclat  went  his  way,  and  Marouf  sat  in  the  tent,  with  the  table  before  him, 
and  the  children  of  Aboulsadat  before  him  in  the  semblance  of  mamlouks, 
and  servants,  and  other  dependents.  And  while  he  was  sitting  in  this  state, 
lo,  the  peasant  approached,  carrying  a  large  wooden  bowl  of  lentils,  and  a 


Plowman  brinsinir  tbe  bowl  of  lentils. 


fodder-bag  full  of  bailey.  So  he  saw  the  tent  pitched,  and  the  mamlouks 
standing  with  their  hands  upon  their  bosoms  ;  and  he  imagined  that  Ma- 
rouf was  the  sultan,  who  had  come  and  alighted  in  that  place.  He  there- 
fore stood  in  a  state  of  confusion,  and  said  within  himself,  Would  that  I 
had  killed  two  chickens,  and  fried  them  red  with  clarified  cows'  butter  for 
the  sake  of  the  sultan.     And  lie  desired  to  return,  to  kill  two  chickens 

551 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

wherewith  to  entertain  the  sultan.  But  Marouf  saw  him,  and  cried  out 
to  him,  and  said  to  the  mamlouks,  Bring  him.  They  therefore  carried  him 
with  the  wooden  bowl  of  lentils,  and  brought  both  before  Marouf,  who  said 
to  him,  What  is  this  ?  He  answered,  This  is  thy  dinner,  and  the  fodder 
for  thy  horse;  but  blame  me  not;  for  I  did  not  imagine  that  the  sultan 
would  come  to  this  place ;  and  had  I  known  that,  I  would  have  killed  for 
him  two  chickens,  and  entertained  him  in  a  goodly  manner.  So  Marouf 
replied,  The  sultan  hath  not  come ;  but  I  am  his  son-in-law,  and  I  was 
displeased  with  him,  and  he  hath  sent  to  me  his  mamlouks,  who  have  rec- 
onciled me,  and  I  now  desire  to  return  to  the  city.  However,  thou  hast 
prepared  for  me  this  entertainment  without  being  acquainted  with  me,  and 
thine  entertainment  is  accepted,  though  it  is  of  lentils,  and  I  will  not  eat 
save  of  thy  cheer.  He  then  ordered  him  to  put  the  wooden  bowl  in  the 
middle  of  the  table,  and  ate  from  it  until  he  was  satisfied ;  but  as  to  the 
peasant,  he  filled  his  stomach  with  food  from  those  dishes  of  various  ex- 
quisite viands.  After  that  Marouf  washed  his  hands,  and  gave  permission 
to  the  mamlouks  to  eat.  So  they  fell  upon  the  remains  of  the  repast,  and 
ate  ;  and  when  the  wooden  bowl  was  emptied,  Marouf  filled  it  for  the 
peasant  with  gold,  and  said  to  him,  Convey  it  to  thy  dwelling,  and  come  to 
me  in  the  city,  and  I  will  treat  thee  with  generosity.  He  therefore  took 
the  wooden  bowl  full  of  gold,  and  drove  the  bulls,  and  went  to  his  village, 
imagining  that  he  [himself]  was  a  relation  of  the  king. 

Marouf  passed  that  night  in  delight  and  joy,  and  they  brought  him  dam- 
sels, of  the  brides  of  the  treasures,  who  played  upon  the  instruments  of 
music  and  danced  before  him.  Thus  he  passed  his  night,  and  it  was  not 
to  be  reckoned  among  lives.  And  when  the  morning  came,  he  was  not 
aware  when  the  dust  rose  and  flew,  and  dispersed  exposing  to  view  mules 
bearing  loads.  They  were  seven  hundred  mules,  carrying  stuffs,  and  around 
them  were  young  men  like  those  who  let  out  beasts  of  burden,  and  mule- 
teers, and  light-bearers  ;  and  Aboulsadat  was  riding  upon  a  mule,  being  in 
the  semblance  of  leader  of  the  caravan,  and  before  him  was  a  litter  upon 
which  were  four  ornaments  of  brilliant  red  gold,  set  with  jewels.  When 
he  arrived  at  the  tent,  he  alighted  from  the  back  of  the  mule,  and  kissed 
the  ground,  and  said,  O  my  master,  verily  the  affair  is  accomplished  com- 
pletely and  perfectly,  and  in  this  litter  is  a  suit  of  apparel  from  the  treas- 
ures, of  which  there  is  not  the  like  among  the  apparel  of  kings  :  therefore 
put  it  on,  and  ride  in  the  litter,  and  command  us  to  do  what  thou  desirest. 
And  he  replied,  O  Aboulsadat,  I  desire  to  write  for  thee  a  letter,  with 
which  thou  shalt  repair  to  the  city  of  Khitan  of  Tartary,  and  go  in  to  my 
uncle  the  king ;  and  go  not  in  to  him  save  in  the  semblance  of  a  human 
courier.  So  he  said  to  him,  I  hear  and  obey.  He  then  wrote  a  letter  and 
sealed  it,  and  Aboulsadat  took  it,  and  proceeded  with  it  until  he  went  in  to 
the  king,  when  he  saw  him  saying,  O  vizier,  verily  my  heart  is  anxious  for 
my  son-in-law,  and  I  fear  that  the  Arabs  may  slay  him.  Would  that  I 
knew  whither  he  is  going,  that  I  might  follow  him  with  the  troops,  and 
would  that  he  had  informed  me  thereof  before  his  departure  !  Upon  this 
the  vizier  replied,  May  God  be  gracious  to  thee  with  respect  to  this  state 
of  heedlessness  in  which  thou  art !  By  thy  head,  the  man  hath  known 
that  we  had  become  excited  to  suspect  him,  and  he  feared  disgrace,  and 
fled ;  and  he  is  none  other  than  an  impostor,  a  liar.  And  lo,  the  courier 
entered,  and  he  kissed  the  ground  before  the  king,  and  offered  up  a  prayer 
552 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

in  his  favor  for  the  continuance  of  his  glory  and  blessings,  and  for  length 
of  life.  So  the  king  said  to  him,  Who  art  thou,  and  what  is  thine  affair  ? 
And  he  answered  him,  I  am  a  courier.  Thy  son-in-law  hath  sent  me  to 
thee,  and  he  is  approaching  with  the  merchandise,  and  he  hath  sent  thee 
by  me  a  letter.     Lo,  here  it  is.     He  therefore  took  it  and  read  it,  and  saw 


i 


m 


10 


The  messenger  delivering  the  letter  to  the  kins 


in  it,  After  exceeding  salutation  to  our  uncle,  the  glorious  king,  I  inform 
thee  that  I  have  come  with  the  merchandise  ;  so  come  forth  and  meet  me 
with  the  troops.  And  thereupon  the  king  said,  May  Allah  blacken  thy 
face,  O  vizier  !  How  often  wilt  thou  speak  against  the  reputation  of  my 
son-in-law,  and  assert  him  to  be  a  liar  and  an  impostor?  He  hath  come 
with  the  merchandise,  and  thou  art  none  other  than  a  traitor.  So  the 
vizier  hung  down  his  head  toward  the  ground,  in  shame  and  confusion,  and 
replied,  ( )  king  of  the  age,  I  said  not  these  words  save  on  account  of  the 
long  delay  of  the  merchandise,  and  I  was  fearing  the  loss  of  the  wealth 
that  he  hath  expended.  But  the  king  said,  O  traitor,  what  are  my  riches  ! 
Since  his  merchandise  hath  come,  he  will  give  me  instead  of  them  an  abund- 
ance of  things. 

Then  the  king  gave  orders  to  decorate  the  city,  and  went  in  to  his 
daughter,  and  said  to  her,  Good  news  for  thee!     Verilv  thy  husband  will 

Vol.  II.— A  a  a  553 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

soon  come  with  his  merchandise  ;  and  he  hath  sent  to  me  a  letter  inform- 
ing me  of  that  event;  and  lo,  I  am  going  forth  to  meet  him.  The  damsel 
therefore  wondered  at  this  circumstance,  and  said  within  herself,  Verily 
this  is  a  wonderful  thing!  Was  he  deriding  me,  and  making  game  of  me, 
or  was  he  proving  me,  when  he  informed  me  that  he  was  a  poor  man  ? 
But  praise  be  to  God  that  nothing  injurious  to  him  proceeded  from  me  ! 
And  as  to  the  merchant  Ali  of  Cairo,  when  he  saw  the  decoration  of  the 
city,  he  inquired  respecting  the  cause  of  it,  and  they  said  to  him,  The  mer- 
chandise of  the  merchant  Marouf,  the  son-in-law  of  the  king,  hath  arrived. 
So  he  said,  God  is  most  great !  What  is  this  calamity  ?  Verily  he  came 
to  me  fleeing  from  his  wife,  and  he  was  a  poor  man.  Whence,  then,  came 
to  him  merchandise  ?  But  probably  the  daughter  of  the  king  hath  con- 
trived for  him  a  stratagem,  in  fear  of  disgrace,  and  kings  are  not  unable  to 
accomplish  any  thing.  However,  may  God  (whose  name  be  exalted!)  pro- 
tect him,  and  not  disgrace  him  !  And  all  the  other  merchants  rejoiced  and 
were  glad  because  they  would  receive  their  money.  The  king  then  as- 
sembled the  troops  and  went  forth  ;  and  Aboulsadat  had  returned  to  Ma- 
rouf, and  informed  him  that  he  had  delivered  the  letter ;  whereupon  Ma- 
rouf said,  Put  ye  on  the  loads.  Accordingly,  they  put  them  on  ;  and  he 
clad  himself  in  the  suit  of  the  apparel  of  the  treasures,  and  got  up  into  the 
litter,  and  became  a  thousand  times  greater  and  more  majestic  than  the 
king.  He  proceeded  as  far  as  half  the  way,  and  lo,  the  king  met  him  with 
the  troops;  and  when  he  came  to  him,  he  saw  him  wearing  that  dress 
and  riding  in  the  litter,  and  he 'threw  himself  upon  him,  saluted  him,  and 
congratulated  him  on  his  safety.  All  the  great  men  of  the  empire  also  sa- 
luted him,  and  it  appeared  that  Marouf  was  veracious,  and  that  there  was 
no  falsehood  in  him. 

He  entered  the  city  in  a  stately  procession  that  would  have  made  the 
gall-bladder  of  the  lion  to  burst,  and  the  merchants  came  to  him  and  kissed 
the  ground  before  him.  Then  the  merchant  Ali  said  to  him,  Thou  hast 
done  this  deed,  and  it  hath  been  successfully  accomplished  by  thee,  O 
sheikh  of  the  impostors!  But  thou  art  deserving;  therefore,  may  God 
(whose  name  be  exalted !)  increase  to  thee  his  bounty  !  And  Marouf 
laughed.  And  when  he  entered  the  palace,  he  seated  himself  upon  the 
throne,  and  said,  Put.  ye  the  loads  of  gold  into  the  treasury  of  my  uncle  the 
king,  and  bring  ye  the  loads  of  stufl's.  So  they  brought  them  forward  to 
him,  and  proceeded  to  open  them,  load  after  load,  and  to  take  forth  their 
contents,  until  they  had  opened  the  seven  hundred  loads;  whereupon  he 
selected  the  best  of  them,  and  said,  Take  them  in  to  the  queen,  that  she 
may  distribute  them  among  her  female  slaves ;  and  take  ye  this  chest  of 
jewels,  and  carry  it  in  to  her,  that  she  may  distribute  the  jewels  among 
the  female  slaves  and  the  eunuchs.  Next  he  proceeded  to  give  to  the 
merchants  to  whom  he  was  indebted  stuffs  in  payment  of  the  debts  ;  and 
to  whom  he  owed  a  thousand,  he  gave  stuffs  worth  two  thousand,  or  more; 
after  which  he  distributed  to  the  poor  and  needy,  while  the  king  looked  on, 
and  was  unable  to  prevent  him.  He  ceased  not  to  give  and  bestow  until 
he  had  distributed  the  seven  hundred  loads;  when  he  looked  toward  the 
soldiers,  and  betook  himself  to  distributing  among  them  minerals,  and 
emeralds,  and  jacinths,  and  pearls,  and  coral,  and  other  things,  not  giving 
the  jewels  save  by  handfuls,  without  numbering.  So  the  king  said  to  him, 
O  my  son,  these  gifts  are  sufficient ;  for  there  remaineth  not  of  the  mer- 
554 


THi:  STORY  OF  MAROUf 


Marouf  entering  tlie  city. 


chandise  move  than  a  small  quantity.  But  he  replied,  I  have  abundance. 
And  his  voracity  had  become  publicly  manifest,  and  no  one  could  any  longer 
belie  him.  He  became  careless  as  to  giving;  for  the  servant  of  the  seal- 
ring  brought  him  whatever  he  demanded.  Then  the  treasurer  came  to 
the  king,  and  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  verily  the  treasury  is  filled,  and  will 
not  hold  the  rest  of  the  loads,  and  where  shall  we  put  what  reniaineth  of 
the  gold  and  minerals  ?  So  he  pointed  out  to  him  another  place.  And 
when  his  wife  beheld  this  thing,  her  joy  was  excessive,  and  she  wondered, 
and  said  within  herself,  Whence  can  all  this  wealth  have  come  to  him  ?  In 
like  manner,  also,  the  merchants  rejoiced  at  the  things  that  he  had  given 
them,  and  they  prayed  for  him.  And  as  to  the  merchant  Ali,  he  wonder- 
ed too,  and  said  within  himself,  How  is  it  that  he  hath  imposed  and  lied  so 
that  he  hath  gained  possession  of  all  these  treasures  ?     For  if  they  were 

555 


THE  STORY  OF  MAKOCJF. 

from  the  daughter  of  the  king,  he  would  not  have  distributed  them  to  the 
poor.     But  how  excellent  is  the  saying  of  him  who  said, 

When  the  King  of  kings  hestoweth,  inquire  not  respecting  the  cause. 

God  will  give  to  whom  he  pleaseth ;  so  keep  within  the  bounds  of  reverence. 

But  as  to  the  king,  he  wondered  extremely  at  what  he  beheld  of  the  ac- 
tions of  Marouf,  and  his  generosity  and  munificence  in  lavishing  the  wealth. 

After  that  Marouf  went  in  to  his  wife,  who  met  him  smiling,  laughing, 
and  joyful,  and  kissed  his  hand,  and  said,  Wast  thou  making  game  of  me, 
or  didst  thou  try  me  by  thy  saying,  I  am  a  poor  man,  and  fleeing  from  my 
wife  ?  Praise  be  to  God  that  nothing  injurious  to  thee  proceeded  from 
me !  Thou  art  my  beloved,  and  there  is  none  more  dear  in  my  estima- 
tion, whether  thou  be  rich  or  poor ;  and  I  wish  that  thou  wouldst  inform 
me  what  thou  desiredst  by  these  words.  He  replied,  I  desired  to  try  thee, 
that  I  might  see  whether  thine  affection  were  sincere,  or  on  account  of 
wealth  and  covetousness  of  worldly  goods;  and  it  hath  become  manifest 
to  me  that  thine  affection  is  sincere  ;  and  since  thou  art  true  in  affection, 
welcome  to  thee  !  I  have  known  thy  value.  Then  he  went  into  a  place 
by  himself  and  rubbed  the  seal-ring.  So  Aboulsadat  presented  himself  to 
him,  and  said  to  him,  At  thy  service  !  Demand,  then,  what  thou  wilt.  He 
replied,  I  desire  of  thee  a  suit  of  the  apparel  of  the  treasures  for  my  wife, 
and  ornaments  of  the  treasures,  comprising  a  necklace  of  forty  incom- 
parable jewels.  And  he  said,  I  hear  and  obey.  Then  he  brought  to  him 
what  he  had  commanded  him  to  procure,  and  Marouf  carried  the  suit  of 
apparel  and  the  ornaments,  after  he  had  dismissed  the  servant,  and,  going 
in  to  his  wife,  he  put  them  before  her,  and  said  to  her,  Take  and  put  them 
on  :  and  welcome  to  thee  !  And  when  she  looked  at  those  things,  her  rea- 
6on  fled  in  consequence  of  her  joy  ;  and  she  saw,  among  the  ornaments, 
two  anklets  of  gold  set  with  jewels,  the  work  of  the  magicians,  and  brace- 
lets, and  ear-rings,  and  a  nose-ring  which  no  riches  would  suffice  to  pur- 
chase. She  put  on  the  suit  of  apparel  and  the  ornaments,  and  said,  O  my 
master,  I  desire  to  treasure  them  up  for  festivals  and  holidays.  But  he 
replied,  Wear  them  always;  for  I  have  abundance  besides  them.  And 
when  she  put  them  on,  and  the  female  slaves  beheld  her,  they  rejoiced, 
and  kissed  her  hands.  He  then  left  them,  and  went  apart  by  himself,  and 
again  rubbed  the  seal-ring.  The  servant,  therefore,  presented  himself  to 
him,  and  he  said  to  him,  Bring  me  a  hundred  suits  of  apparel,  with  the  or- 
naments of  gold  appropriate  to  them.  And  he  replied,  I  hear  and  obey; 
and  brought  him  the  suits  of  apparel,  each  suit  having  its  ornaments  of 
gold  within  it ;  and  Marouf  took  them,  and  called  out  to  the  female  slaves. 
So  they  came  to  him,  and  he  gave  to  each  of  them  a  suit ;  and  they  put 
on  the  suits,  and  became  like  the  Houris,  the  queen  being  among  them  like 
the  moon  among  the  stars.  And  one  of  the  female  slaves  informed  the 
king  thereof;  wherefore  the  king  came  in  to  his  daughter,  and  saw  that 
she  and  her  female  slaves  amazed  the  beholder;  and  he  wondered  at  this 
extremely. 

He  then  went  forth  and  summoned  his  vizier,  and  said  to  him,  O  vizier, 
Buch  and  such  things  have  happened,  and  what  sayest  thou  of  this  case  ? 
He  answered,  O  king  of  the  age,  verily  this  conduct  proceedeth  not  from 
merchants  ;  for  pieces  of  linen  remain  in  the  possession  of  the  merchant 
for  years,  and  he  selleth  them  not  save  for  gain.  How  should  merchants 
.-).->r; 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

have  generosity  like  this  generosity,  and  how  can  they  accumulate  the  like 
of  these  riches  and  jewels  such  as  exist  not  in  the  possession  of  kings,  save 
in  small  quantities  ?  How,  then,  can  loads  of  them  exist  in  the  possession 
of  merchants  ?  There  must  be  a  cause  for  this.  But,  if  thou  wilt  comply 
with  my  advice,  I  will  make  manifest  to  thee  the  truth  of  the  case.  And 
he  replied,  I  will  comply  with  thy  advice,  O  vizier.  So  the  vizier  said  to 
him,  Have  an  interview  with  him,  and  show  affection  for  him,  and  converse 
with  him,  and  say  to  him,  O  my  son-in-law,  I  have  it  in  my  heart  to  go 
with  thee  and  the  vizier,  and  none  else,  to  a  garden,  for  the  sake  of  diver- 
sion. And  when  we  have  gone  forth  to  the  garden,  we  will  put  the  wine- 
table,  and  I  will  constrain  him,  and  give  him  to  drink  ;  and  when  he  hath 
drank  the  wine,  his  reason  will  be  lost,  and  his  right  judgment  will  quit 
him,  and  we  will  ask  him  respecting  the  truth  of  his  case  ;  for  he  will  ac- 
quaint us  with  his  secrets.  Wine  is  a  betrayer;  and  divinely-gifted  was 
he  who  said, 

When  we  had  drank  it,  and  it  had  crept  as  far  as  the  place  of  secrets,  I  said  to  it, 

Stop; 
Fearing  lest  its  influence  should  overcome  rue,  and  my  companions  discover  my 

hidden  secret. 

Then,  when  he  hath  informed  us  of  the  truth  of  the  case,  we  shall  know 
his  state,  and  may  do  with  him  as  we  like  and  choose ;  for  I  fear  for  thee 
the  results  of  this  state  in  which  he  is.  Probably  his  soul  may  be  ambi- 
tious of  obtaining  the  kingdom,  and  the  troops  may  be  collected  by  means 
of  generosity  and  the  lavishing  of  wealth,  and  he  may  depose  thee,  and  take 
the  kingdom  from  thee.     And  the  king  replied,  Thou  hast  spoken  truth. 

They  passed  the  night  agreeing  as  to  this  plan  ;  and  when  the  morning 
came,  the  king  went  forth  to  the  hall  and  seated  himself;  and  lo,  the  serv- 
ants and  grooms  came  in  to  him  in  affliction.  So  he  said  to  them,  What 
hath  befallen  you  ?  And  they  answered,  O  king  of  the  age,  the  grooms 
curried  the  horses,  and  gave  fodder  to  them  and  to  the  mules  that  brought 
the  merchandise;  and  when  we  arose  in  the  morning,  we  found  that  the 
mamlouks  had  stolen  the  horses  and  mules ;  and  we  searched  the  stables, 
but  saw  not  horses  nor  mules  ;  and  we  entered  the  place  of  the  mamlouks, 
but  saw  not  in  it  any  one  ;  and  we  know  not  how  they  fled.  The  king 
therefore  wondered  at  that ;  for  he  imagined  that  the  Genii  were  horses, 
and  mules,  and  mamlouks,  and  knew  not  that  they  were  the  Genii  of  the 
servant  of  the  talisman.  And  he  said  to  them,  O  ye  accursed!  How  is 
it  that  a  thousand  beasts,  and  five  hundred  mamlouks,  and  servants  besides, 
fled,  and  ye  perceived  them  not?  They  replied,  We  know  not  how  it 
happened  to  us  that  they  fled.  And  he  said,  Depart,  and  wait  until  your 
master  cometh  forth  from  the  harem,  and  acquaint  him  with  the  news.  So 
they  departed  from  before  the  king,  and  sat  perplexed  respecting  this  mat- 
ter; and  while  they  were  sitting  in  this  state,  lo,  Marouf  came  forth  from 
the  harem,  and  saw  them  sorrowful,  and  he  said  to  them,  What  is  the 
news?  They  therefore  acquainted  him  with  that  which  had  happened. 
But  he  said,  And  what  is  their  value,  that  ye  are  sorrowful  on  account  of 
them  ?  Go  your  way.  And  Vie  sat  laughing,  and  was  neither  angry  nor 
sorrowful  on  account  of  this  event.  And  the  king  looked  in  the  face  of  the 
vizier,  and  said,  What  is  this  man  in  whose  estimation  wealth  is  of  no  value  ? 
There  must  be  a  cause  for  this.  Then  they  conversed  with  him  a  while, 
and  the  king  said,  O  my  son-in-law,  I  desire  to  go  with  thee  and  the  vizior 

557 


THE  STORY  OF  MA  ROUP. 


The  garden. 

to  a  garden,  for  the  sake  of  diversion.     What,  then,  sayest  thou  ?     And  ho 
replied,  No  harm. 

So  thereupon  they  departed,  and  repaired  to  a  garden  containing  two 
kinds  of  every  fruit,  and  its  rivers  were  flowing,  and  its  trees  were  tall,  and 
its  birds  were  warbling.  They  entered,  within  it,  a  pavilion  that  would 
dispel  grief  from  hearts,  and  sat  conversing,  the  vizier  relating  extraordi- 
nary tales,  and  introducing  ludicrous  witticisms  and  mirth-exciting  sayings, 
and  JVIarouf  listening  to  the  conversation,  until  the  dinner  came  up.  They 
placed  the  table  of  viands  and  the  jar  of  wine  ;  and  after  they  had  eaten 
and  washed  their  hands,  the  vizier  filled  the  cup  and  gave  it  to  the  king, 
who  drank  it;  and  he  filled  the  second,  and  said  to  Marouf,  Take  the  cup 
of  the  beverage  in  reverence  of  which  the  understanding  bows  the  neck. 
So  Marouf  said,  What  is  this,  O  vizier  ?  The  vizier  answered,  This  is 
the  old  maid,  and  the  virgin  long  kept  in  her  home,  and  the  imparter  of  joy 
to  hearts,  of  which  the  poet  hath  said, 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

The  stout,  foreign  infidels'  feet  went  round  treading  her,  and  she  hath  avenged 

herself  upon  the  heads  of  the  Arahs. 
One  of  the  daughters  of  the  infidels,  like  the  full  moon  amid  darkness,  whose  eyes 

are  the  strongest  cause  of  temptation,  presenteth  her. 

Aud  among  other  pieces  of  poetry,  he  recited  this  verse : 

I  wonder  at  the  pressers  of  it,  how  they  have  died,  aud  have  left  to  us  the  water 
of  life. 

And  this  couplet : 

By  Allah,  there  is  no  other  alchemy  than  this  ;  and  all  is  false  that  is  said  of  the 
modes  of  other  kinds. 

Pour  a  carat's  weight  of  wine  upon  a  hundred  weight  of  grief,  and  the  latter  is  in- 
stantly converted  into  joys. 

He  ceased  not  to  excite  his  desire  for  the  wine,  mentioning  to  him  such 
of  its  good  qualities  as  he  relished,  and  reciting  to  him  what  occurred  to  h's 
mind  of  verses  on  the  subject  of  it,  and  pleasant  stories,  until  he  inclined 
to  put  his  lips  to  the  mouth  of  the  cup,  and  had  no  longer  a  desire  for  any 
thing  else.  And  the  vizier  continued  to  fill  for  him,  and  he  drank,  and  de- 
lighted, and  was  merry,  till  he  lost  his  reason,  and  distinguished  not  his 
wrong  conduct  from  his  right.  So  when  he  knew  that  his  intoxication  had 
become  extreme,  and  exceeded  the  utmost  point  that  was  required,  he  said 
to  him,  O  merchant  Marouf,  by  Allah,  I  wonder  whence  came  to  thee 
these  jewels  of  which  the  like  exist  not  in  the  possession  of  the  royal 
Caesars;  and  in  our  lives  we  have  never  seen  a  merchant  who  hath  accu- 
mulated riches  like  thee,  nor  any  one  more  generous  than  thou  ;  for  thine 
actions  are  the  actions  of  kings,  and  they  are  not  the  actions  of  merchants. 
I  conjure  thee  then,  by  Allah,  that  thou  inform  me,  in  order  that  I  may  know 
thy  rank  and  station.  And  he  proceeded  to  ply  him  and  beguile  him  while 
he  was  bereft  of  reason.  Marouf  therefore  said  to  him,  I  am  not  a  mer- 
chant, nor  one  of  the  kings.  And  he  acquainted  him  with  his  story  from 
beginning  to  end.  So  the  vizier  said  to  him,  I  conjure  thee,  by  Allah,  O 
my  master  Marouf,  to  divert  us  with  a  sight  of  this  seal-ring,  that  we  may 
see  of  what  kind  is  its  make.  And  he  pulled  oft*  the  ring,  in  his  intoxica- 
tion, and  said,  Take  it,  and  divert  yourselves  with  the  sight  of  it.  And  the 
vizier  took  it,  and  turned  it  over,  and  said,  If  I  rub  it,  will  the  servant  pre- 
sent himself?  Marouf  answered,  Yes;  rub  it:  he  will  present  himself 
to  thee  ;  and  divert  thou  thyself  by  beholding  him. 

The  vizier  therefore  rubbed  it;  and  lo,  a  speaker  said,  At  thy  service, 
O  my  master  !  Demand  :  thou  shalt  receive  !  Wilt  thou  ruin  a  city,  or 
build  a  city,  or  slay  a  king  ?  For  whatever  thou  desirest,  I  will  do  it  for 
thee,  witliout  disobedience.  And  the  vizier  made  a  sign  to  Marouf,  and 
said  to  the  servant,  Take  up  this  erring  man  :  then  cast  him  down  in  the 
most  desolate  of  deserted  lands,  so  that  he  may  not  find  in  it  what  he  may 
eat  nor  what  he  may  drink,  and  may  perish  of  hunger,  and  die  in  sorrow, 
no  one  knowing  of  him.  So  the  servant  seized  him,  and  (lew  with  him 
between  heaven  and  earth.  And  when  Marouf  beheld  this,  he  felt  sure 
of  destruction  and  grievous  embarrassment ;  and  he  wept,  and  said,  O 
Aboulsadat,  whither  art  thou  going  with  me?  He  answered  him,  I  am 
going  to  cast  thee  down  in  the  deserted  quarter  of  the  earth,  O  thou  of 
little  good-breeding!  Who  possesseth  a  talisman  like  this,  and  giveth  it  to 
people  that  they  may  divert  themselves  with  the  sight  of  it  ?     But  thou  de- 

5c9 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 


The  desert. 

sorvest  what  hath  befallen  thee  ;  and,  but  that  I  fear  God,  I  would  cast 
thee  down  from  the  distance  of  a  thousand  fathoms,  and  thou  wouldst  not 
reach  the  earth  until  the  winds  should  have  torn  thee  in  pieces.  So  he 
was  silent,  and  spoke  not  to  him  until  he  arrived  with  him  at  the  deserted 
quarter;  whereupon  he  threw  him  down  there;  and  he  returned,  and  left 
him  in  the  desolate  land.  Meanwhile,  the  vizier,  having  possessed  the 
seal-ring,  said  to  the  king,  How  thinkest  thou  now  ?  Did  I  not  say  to  thee 
that  this  man  was  a  liar,  an  impostor?  But  thou  didst  not  believe  me. 
And  he  replied,  Thou  art  right,  O  my  vizier !  God  give  thee  health  ! 
Give  me  this  seal-ring,  that  1  may  divert  myself  with  a  sight  of  it.  But 
the  vizier  looked  at  him  angrily,  and  spat  in  his  face,  and  said  to  him,  O 
thou  of  little  sense,  how  should  I  give  it  to  thee,  and  become  thy  servant, 
after  I  have  become  thy  master  ?  But  I  will  no  longer  suffer  thee  to  exist. 
Then  he  rubbed  the  seal-ring,  and  the  servant  presented  himself,  and  he 
said  to  him,  Take  up  this  person  of  little  good-breeding,  and  throw  him 
down  in  the  place  where  thou  hast  cast  his  son-in-law,  the  impostor.  So 
he  took  him  up  and  flew  away  with  him,  and  the  king  said  to  him,  O 
creature  of  my  lord,  what  is  my  offense  ?  The  servant  answered  him,  1 
know  not ;  but  my  master  hath  commanded  me  to  do  this,  and  I  can  not 
disobey  him  who  possesseth  the  seal-ring  containing  this  talisman.  He 
ceased  not  to  fly  on  with  him  until  he  threw  him  down  in  the  place  in  which 
was  Marouf.  He  then  returned  and  left  him  there.  And  the  king  heard 
Marouf  weeping  :  wherefore  he  came  to  him  and  informed  him  of  his  case, 
and  they  sat  weeping  for  that  which  had  befallen  them,  and  found  neither 
food  nor  drink. 

But  as  to  the  vizier,  after  he  had  separated  Marouf  and  the  king  from 
their  home,  he  arose  and  went  forth  from  the  garden,  and,  having  sent  to 
all  the  soldiers,  held  a  court,  and  acquainted  them  with  what  he  had  done 
with  Marouf  and  the  king.  He  told  them  also  the  story  of  the  seal-ring, 
and  said  to  them,  If  ye  make  me  not  sultan  over  you,  I  will  command  the 
servant  of  the  seal-ring  to  carry  you  all  off  and  cast  you  down  in  the  de- 
serted quarter,  and  ye  will  die  of  hunger  and  thirst.  So  they  replied,  Do 
us  no  injury ;  for  we  consent  to  thy  being  sultan  over  us,  and  we  will  not 
disobey  thy  command.  They  agreed  to  his  being  sultan  over  them  against 
560 


THE  BTORY  OF   MAROUF. 

their  wish,  and  he  conferred  upon  them  robes  of  honor,  and  proceeded  to 
demand  all  that  he  desired  of  Aboulsadat.  who  presented  it  before  him  im- 
mediately. He  seated  himself  upon  the  throne,  and  the  troops  obeyed  him ; 
and  he  sent  to  the  daughter  of  the  king,  saying  to  her,  Prepare  thyself; 
for  I  am  coming  to  take  thee  as  my  wife  this  night,  being  full  of  desire  to  be 
with  thee.  Upon  this  she  wept;  and  the  case  of  her  father  and  her  hus- 
band grieved  her ;  and  she  sent  to  say  to  him,  Let  me  remain  until  the 
period  of  widowhood  shall  have  been  completed ;  then  perform  the  cere- 
mony of  the  contract  of  my  marriage,  and  take  me  as  thy  wife  legally.  But 
he  sent  to  say  to  her,  I  know  no  period  of  widowhood  nor  length  of  time, 
nor  do  I  require  a  contract  of  marriage,  nor  do  I  know  lawful  from  unlawful. 
I  must  without  fail  take  thee  as  my  wife  this  night.  And  she  sent  to  say 
to  him,  "Welcome  to  thee  !  And  there  will  be  no  harm  in  that.  But  this 
proceeding  was  a  stratagem  of  hers.  And  when  the  reply  was  brought  to 
him,  he  rejoiced,  and  his  bosom  became  dilated  ;  for  he  was  passionately 
enamored  of  her.  He  then  gave  orders  to  place  the  viands  among  all  the 
people,  and  said,  Eat  ye  this  food,  and  it  is  the  banquet  of  a  wedding  fes- 
tivity ;  for  I  purpose  to  take  the  queen  as  my  wife  this  night.  The  Sheikh 
el-Islam  therefore  said,  It  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  take  her  as  thy  wife 
until  her  period  of  widowhood  shall  have  been  completed,  and  thou  shalt 
have  performed  the  ceremony  of  the  contract  of  thy  marriage  to  her.  But 
he  replied,  I  know  not  a  period  of  widowhood  nor  any  other  period  :  there- 
fore multiply  not  thy  words  to  me.  So  the  Sheikh  el-Islam  was  silent,  and 
feared  his  malice,  and  said  to  the  soldiers,  Verily  this  is  an  infidel,  and  he 
hath  no  religion  nor  religious  opinion. 

Then,  when  the  evening  came,  he  went  in  to  her,  and  saw  her  wearing 
the  most  magnificent  of  the  apparel  that  she  possessed,  and  adorned  with 
the  most  beautiful  of  ornaments ;  and  when  she  beheld  him,  she  received 
him  laughing,  and  said  to  him,  A  blessed  night!  But  hadst  thou  slain  my 
father  and  my  husband,  it  had  been  better  in  my  opinion  !  So  he  replied, 
I  must  without  fail  slay  them.  And  she  seated  him,  and  proceeded  to  jest 
with  him,  and  to  make  a  show  of  affection  for  him  ;  and  when  she  caressed 
him,  and  smiled  in  his  face,  his  reason  fled.  But  she  only  beguiled  him  by 
caresses,  in  order  that  she  might  get  possession  of  the  seal-ring,  and  con- 
vert his  joy  into  calamity  upon  his  head ;  and  she  did  not  with  him  these 
deeds  save  in  accordance  with  the  idea  of  him  who  said, 

I  have  attained  by  means  of  my  stratagem  what  could  not  be  attained  by  the 

swords. 
Then  I  returned  with  plunder  of  which  the  plucked  fruits  were  sweet. 

Then  suddenly  she  retired  to  a  distance  from  him,  and  wept,  and  said,  O 
my  lord,  dost  thou  not  see  I  he  man  that  is  looking  at  us  ?  I  conjure  thee, 
by  Allah,  to  veil  me  from  his  eye  !  And  thereupon  he  was  enraged,  and 
said,  Where  is  the  man  ?  She  answered,  Lo,  he  is  in  the  stone  of  the 
seal-ring,  putting  forth  his  head,  and  looking  at  us.  He  therefore  imagined 
that  the  servant  of  the  seal-ring  was  looking  at  them ;  and  he  laughed,  and 
said,  Fear  not.  This  is  the  servant  of  the  seal-ring,  and  he  is  under  my 
authority.  She  replied,  1  am  afraid  of  Afrites :  so  pull  it  oil",  and  throw  it 
to  a  distance  from  mo.  Accordingly,  ho  pulled  it  off  and  put  it  on  the 
cushion,  and  drew  near  to  her.  But  she  kicked  him  with  her  foot  upon 
his  stomach,  so  that  he  fell  upon  his  back  senseless  ;  and  she  called  out  to 
A  \  \'  561 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 


The  viziei-  overcome  by  the  princess. 

her  dependents,  who  came  to  her  quickly,  and  she  said  to  them,  Lay  hold 
upon  him.  So  forty  female  slaves  seized  him,  and  she  hastily  took  the 
seal-ring  from  the  pillow  and  rubbed  it;  and  lo,  Aboulsadat  approached, 
saying,  At  thy  service,  O  my  mistress  !  And  she  said,  Take  up  this  in- 
fidel, and  put  him  into  the  prison,  and  make  his  shackles  heavy. 

He  therefore  took  him,  and  confined  him  in  the  prison  of  anger,  and  re- 
turned and  said  to  her,  I  have  imprisoned  him.  She  then  said  to  him, 
Whither  conveyedst  thou  my  father  and  my  husband  ?  He  answered,  I 
threw  them  down  in  the  deserted  quarter.  And  she  said,  I  command  thee 
to  bring  them  to  me  this  instant.  So  he  replied,  I  hear  and  obey.  And 
he  flew  from  before  her,  and  ceased  not  to  fly  on  until  he  arrived  at  the 
deserted  quarter  and  descended  upon  them,  when  he  beheld  them  sitting 
weeping,  and  complaining  one  to  the  other;  and  he  said  to  them,  Fear  ye 
not.  Relief  hath  come  to  you.  He  acquainted  them  with  that  which  the 
vizier  had  done,  and  said  to  them,  I  have  imprisoned  him  with  mine  own 
hand  in  obedience  to  her ;  and  she  commanded  me  to  bring  you  back. 
They  therefore  rejoiced  at  the  news  that  he  told  them.  Then  he  took 
them  up  and  flew  away  with  them,  and  not  more  than  a  little  while  had 
elapsed  before  he  went  in  with  them  to  the  king's  daughter,  who  arose 
and  saluted  her  father  and  her  husband,  and  seated  them,  and  presented  to 
them  the  viands  and  the  sweetmeat.  They  passed  the  remainder  of  the 
night,  and  on  the  following  day  she  clad  her  father  in  a  magnificent  suit  of 
apparel,  and  clad  her  husband  in  like  manner,  and  said,  O  my  father,  sit 
thou  upon  thy  throne,  a  king  as  thou  wast  at  first,  and  make  my  husband 
thy  vizier  of  the  right  hand  :  then  acquaint,  thy  troops  with  the  events  that 
562 


TIIK  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

have  happeneo,  and  bring  the  vizier  from  the  prison,  and  slay  him,  and 
after  that,  burn  him;  for  he  is  an  infidel,  and  he  desired  to  take  me  as  his 
wife  unlawfully,  without  the  rite  of  marriage.  He  hath  avowed  of  him- 
self that  he  is  an  infidel,  and  that  he  hath  no  religion  which  he  holdefh. 
And  do  thou  act  well  to  thy  son-in-law,  whom  thou  hast  appointed  thy 
vizier  of  the  right  hand.  lie  replied,  I  hear  and  obey,  O  my  daughter ; 
but  give  me  the  seal-ring,  or  give  it  to  thy  husband.  But  she  said,  Verily 
it  be/itteth  not  thee  nor  him.  The  seal-ring  shall  remain  only  in  my  pos- 
session, and  probably  I  shall  take  more  care  of  it  than  ye  would.  What- 
ever ye  desire,  demand  it  of  me,  and  I  will  demand  for  you  of  the  servant 
of  the  seal-ring.  Fear  ye  not  any  harm  as  long  as  I  live ;  and  after  my 
death,  do  as  ye  will  with  the  seal-ring.  And  her  father  replied,  This  is 
the  right  plan,  O  my  daughter.  Then  he  took  his  son-in-law,  and  went 
up  to  the  council  chamber. 

Now  the  troops  had  passed  the  night  in  excessive  affliction,  on  account 
of  the  king's  daughter,  and  what  the  vizier  had  [as  they  imagined]  done 
with  her,  taking  her  as  his  wife  unlawfully,  without  the  rite  of  marriage, 
and  his  ill-treatment  of  the  king  and  his  son-in-law ;  and  they  feared  that 
the  law  of  Mohammed  would  be  dishonored;  for  it  had  become  manifest 
to  them  that  he  was  an  infidel.  Then  they  assembled  in  the  council 
chamber,  and  began  to  reproach  the  Sheikh  el-Islam,  saying  to  him, 
Wherefore  didst  thou  not  prevent  him  from  taking  the  queen  as  his  wife 
unlawfully  ?  So  he  answered  them,  O  people,  verily  the  man  is  an  infidel, 
and  he  hath  become  possessor  of  the  seal-ring,  and  I  and  ye  are  unable  to 
do  aught  against  him.  But  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !)  will  recom- 
pense him  for  his  conduct ;  and  be  ye  silent,  lest  he  slay  you.  And  while 
the  soldiers  were  assembled  in  the  council  chamber,  conversing  on  this 
subject,  lo,  the  king  came  in  to  them  in  the  council  chamber,  and  with  him 
his  son-in-law,  Marouf.  So  when  the  soldiers  beheld  him,  they  rejoiced 
at  his  coming,  and  rose  to  him  upon  their  feet,  and  kissed  the  ground  be- 
fore him.  He  then  seated  himself  upon  the  throne  and  acquainted  them 
with  the  story.  Therefore  their  grief  quitted  them.  And  he  gave  orders 
to  decorate  the  city,  and  caused  the  vizier  to  be  brought  from  the  prison  ; 
and  as  he  passed  by  the  soldiers,  they  cursed  him  and  reviled  him,  and 
threatened  him  until  he  came  to  the  king;  and  when  he  stood  before  him, 
he  gave  orders  to  slay  him  in  the  most  abominable  manner.  So  they  slew 
him  :  then  they  burned  him ;  and  he  went  to  hell  in  the  most  evil  of  con- 
ditions ;  and  well  did  one  say  of  him, 

May  the  Compassionate  show  no  mercy  to  the  tomb  where  his  bones  will  lie,  and 
may  Munkar  and  Nekir  incessantly  remain  in  it. 

Then  the  king  appointed  Marouf  his  vizier  of  the  right  hand,  and  the  times 
were  pleasant  to  them,  and  their  joys  were  unsullied. 

They  remained  thus  five  years ;  and  in  the  sixth  year  the  king  died ; 
and  thereupon  the  king's  daughter  made  Marouf  sultan  in  the  place  of  her 
father;  but  she  gave  him  not  the  seal-ring.  And  during  this  period  she 
had  borne  him  a  boy,  of  surprising  loveliness,  of  surpassing  beauty  and  per- 
fection ;  and  he  ceased  not  to  remain  in  the  laps  of  the  nurses  until  he  had 
attained  the  age  of  five  years.  Then  his  mother  fell  into  a  fatal  sickness  : 
so  she  summoned  Marouf,  and  said  to  him,  I  am  sick.  He  replied,  God 
preserve  thee.  O  beloved  of  my  heart !     But  she  rejoined.  Probably  T  shall 

563  " 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

die,  and  thou  requirest  not  that  I  should  charge  thee  respecting  thy  son. 
I  only  charge  thee  to  take  care  of  the  seal-ring,  from  fear  for  thee  and  for 
this  boy.  He  said,  No  harm  will  befall  him  whom  God  preserveth.  And 
she  pulled  off  the  ring  and  gave  it  to  him ;  and  on  the  following  day  she 
was  admitted  to  the  mercy  of  God,  whose  name  be  exalted  ! 

Marouf  still  remained  king,  and  applied  himself  to  the  affairs  of  govern- 
ment. And  it  happened  one  day  that  he  shook  the  handkerchief,  and  the 
soldiers  dispersed  themselves  from  before  him  to  their  abodes,  and  he  en- 
tered the  sitting  chamber,  and  sat  there  until  the  day  had  passed,  and  the 
night  came  with  its  thick  darkness.  Then  the  great  men  who  were  his 
boon  companions  came  in  to  him,  according  to  their  custom,  and  sat  up  with 
him,  for  the  sake  of  enjoyment  and  amusement,  until  midnight,  when  they 
asked  permission  to  depart ;  and  he  gave  them  permission,  and  they  went 
forth  from  him  to  their  houses.  After  that  there  came  in  to  him  a  slave 
girl,  who  was  employed  to  attend  to  his  bed,  and  she  spread  for  him  the 
mattress,  pulled  off  his  clothes,  and  clad  him  in  the  apparel  of  sleep,  and  he 
laid  himself  down.  The  damsel  then  proceeded  to  rub  and  press  gently 
the  soles  of  his  feet  until  sleep  overcame  him,  whereupon  she  went  forth 
from  him  to  her  sleeping-place,  and  slept.  And  the  King  Marouf  was 
sleeping,  and  suddenly  he  found  something  by  his  side  in  the  bed.  So  he 
awoke  terrified,  and  said,  I  seek  refuge  with  God  from  Satan  the  accursed  ! 
Then  he  opened  his  eyes,  and  saw  by  his  side  a  woman  of  hideous  aspect ; 
and  he  said  to  her,  Who  art  thou  ?  She  answered,  Fear  not.  I  am  thy 
wife,  Fatima  el-Orra. 

Upon  this  he  looked  in  her  face,  and  knew  her  by  the  hideousness  of 
her  shape  and  the  length  of  her  dog-teeth  ;  and  he  said,  How  earnest  thou 
in  to  me,  and  who  brought  thee  to  this  country  ?  She  said  to  him,  In  what 
country  art  thou  at  present  ?  He  answered,  In  the  city  of  Khitau  of 
Tartary.  And  thou  (he  added),  when  didst  thou  quit  Cairo  ?  She  an- 
swered, Just  now.  He  said  to  her,  And  how  so  ?  She  answered,  Know 
that  when  I  wrangled  with  thee,  and  the  devil  had  incited  me  to  do  thee 
mischief,  and  I  complained  of  thee  to  the  magistrates,  they  searched  for 
thee,  and  found  thee  not;  and  the  cadies  inquired  respecting  thee;  but 
they  saw  thee  not.  Then,  after  two  days  had  passed,  repentance  seized 
me,  and  I  knew  that  the  fault  was  mine  ;  but  repentance  did  not  profit  me. 
I  remained  for  a  period  of  days  weeping  for  thy  separation,  and  my  means 
became  diminished,  so  that  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  beg  for  the  sake  of 
food.     I  proceeded  to  beg  of  every  emulated  man  of  wealth  and  every  de- 


Fatima  el-Orra  mourning. 
5G4 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

tested  pauper ;  and  from  the  time  when  thou  quittedst  me,  I  have  been 
eating  the  food  obtained  by  ignominious  begging.  I  became  in  the  most 
evil  of  conditions,  and  every  night  I  sat  weeping  for  thy  separation,  and  for 
what  I  had  endured  since  thy  departure,  of  ignominy,  and  contempt,  and 
disappointment,  and  injury.  She  continued  to  relate  to  him  what  had 
happened  to  her,  while  he  was  in  amazement  at  her,  until  she  said,  And 
yesterday  I  went  about  all  the  day  begging ;  but  no  one  gave  me  aught. 
Every  time  that  I  accosted  any  one,  and  begged  him  for  a  bit  of  bread,  he 
reviled  me,  and  gave  me  not  aught-  So  when  the  night  came,  I  passed  it 
without  supper,  and  hunger  tormented  me  ;  what  I  endured  was  grievous 
to  me,  and  1  sat  weeping.  And  lo,  a  person  appeared  before  me,  and  said 
to  me,  O  woman,  wherefore  dost  thou  weep  ?  I  therefore  answered,  I  had 
a  husband  who  expended  upon  me  and  accomplished  my  desires,  and  he 
hath  been  lost  to  me,  and  1  know  not  whither  he  hath  gone,  and  I  have 
endured  embarrassment  since  his  departure.  Thereupon  he  said,  What 
is  the  name  of  thy  husband  ?  I  answered,  His  name  is  Marouf.  And  he 
said,  I  am  acquainted  with  him.  Know  that  thy  husband  is  now  sultan 
in  a  city  ;  and  if  thou  desire  that  I  should  convey  thee  to  him,  I  will  do  so. 
I  therefore  said  to  him,  I  throw  myself  upon  thy  generosity,  begging  thee 
to  convey  me  to  him !  And  he  took  me  up,  and  flew  with  me  between 
heaven  and  earth  until  he  conveyed  me  to  this  palace,  when  he  said, 
Enter  this  chamber.  Thou  wilt  see  thy  husband  sleeping  upon  the  couch. 
So  I  entered,  and  saw  thee  in  this  state  of  sovereignty.  Now  it  was  not 
my  wish  that  thou  shouldst  forsake  me.  I  am  thy  companion  ;  and  praise 
be  to  God  who  hath  united  me  with  thee  !  Upon  this  he  said  to  her,  Did 
I  forsake  thee,  or  didst  thou  forsake  me  ?  Thou  complainedst  of  me  to 
cadi  after  cadi,  and  finishedst  by  complaining  of  me  to  the  Sublime  Court, 
so  that  thou  causedst  Abou  Tabak  to  come  down  upon  me  from  the  citadel. 
Therefore  I  fled  in  spite  of  myself.  And  he  proceeded  to  relate  to  her 
what  had  happened  to  him  until  he  became  sultan  and  married  the  king's 
daughter.  He  told  her  also  that  she  had  died,  and  that  he  had  by  her  a 
son,  whose  age  was  seven  years.  And  she  said  to  him,  What  hath  hap- 
pened was  predestined  by  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  and  I  have  re- 
pented. I  throw  myself  upon  thy  generosity,  entreating  thee  not  to  for- 
sake me  ;  but  let  me  eat  bread  in  thine  abode  as  alms. 

She  ceased  not  to  humble  herself  to  him  until  his  heart  was  moved  with 
compassion  for  her,  and  he  said  to  her,  Repent  of  evil  conduct,  and  reside 


^i|| 


Vol.  II.— B  b  b 


Fatima  el-Orra  bumbling  berself  before  Marouf. 


iG5 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

with  me,  and  thou  shalt  experience  nothing  but  what  will  rejoice  thee. 
But  if  thou  do  any  evil  act,  I  will  slay  thee,  and  will  not  fear  any  one ;  so 
let  it  not  occur  to  thy  mind  that  thou  mayest  complain  of  me  to  the  Sub- 
lime Court,  and  that  Abou  Tabak  will  come  down  to  me  from  the  citadel ; 
for  I  have  become  a  sultan,  and  the  people  fear  me ;  but  I  fear  not  any  one 
except  God  (whose  name  be  exalted  !),  since  I  have  a  seal-ring  that  hath 
a  servant  in  subjection  to  it.  When  I  rub  it,  the  servant  of  the  ring  ap- 
peareth  to  me  :  his  name  is  Aboulsadat ;  and  whatever  I  demand  of  him,  he 
bringeth  it  to  me.  Now,  if  thou  desire  to  return  to  thy  country,  I  will  give 
thee  what  will  suffice  thee  all  thy  life,  and  send  thee  to  thy  country 
speedily.  And  if  thou  desire  to  reside  with  me,  I  will  appropriate  to  thee 
exclusively  a  pavilion,  and  furnish  it  for  thee  with  the  best  of  silks,  appoint 
for  thee  twenty  female  slaves  to  serve  thee,  and  assign  for  thee  good  food 
and  magnificent  apparel,  so  that  thou  shalt  become  a  queen,  and  live  in 
exceeding  affluence  uutil  thou  shalt  die,  or  I  die.  What,  then,  sayest  thou 
respecting  this  proposal?  She  answered,  I  desire  to  remain  with  thee. 
Then  she  kissed  his  hand,  and  vowed  repentance  of  evil  conduct.  He 
therefore  appropriated  to  her  a  pavilion  for  herself  alone,  and  bestowed 
upon  her  female  slaves  and  eunuchs,  and  she  became  a  queen.  And  the 
boy  used  to  repair  to  her  and  to  his  father ;  but  she  hated  the  boy  because 
he  was  not  her  son;  and  when  the  boy  saw  that  she  looked  upon  him  with 
the  eye  of  anger  and  hatred,  he  shunned  her  and  hated  her.  Marouf  then 
became  occupied  with  love  of  the  beautiful  slave  girls,  and  thought  not  of 
his  wife  Fatima  el-Orra,  because  she  had  become  a  half-gray  old  woman, 
with  hideous  form,  and  a  person  whose  hair  was  falling  off,  more  ugly  than 
the  speckled  black  and  white  serpent ;  but  especially  because  she  had  ill- 
treated  him  in  a  manner  that  could  not  be  exceeded  ;  and  the  author  of  the 
proverb  saith,  Ill-treatment  eradicateth  desire,  and  sovveth  fierce  hatred  in 
the  soil  of  hearts.     Divinely  gifted  was  he  who  said, 

Beware  of  losing  hearts  in  consequence  of  injury,  for  the  bringing  them  back,  after 

flight,  is  difficult. 
Verily  hearts,  when  affection  hath  fled  from  them,  are  like  glass,  which,  when 

broken,  can  not  be  made  whole  again. 

Marouf  did  not  receive  her  to  reside  in  his  abode  on  account  of  any 
praiseworthy  quality  that  she  possessed  ;  but  he  treated  her  in  this  gener- 
ous manner  only  from  a  desire  of  obtaining  the  approval  of  God,  whose 
name  be  exalted!  And  when  she  saw  that  he  withheld  himself  from  her, 
and  became  occupied  with  others,  she  hated  him,  and  jealousy  overcame 
her,  and  Eblis  suggested  to  her  that,  she  should  take  the  seal-ring  from  him 
and  slay  him,  and  make  herself  queen  in  his  place.  Then  she  went  forth 
one  night,  and  walked  from  her  pavilion  to  the  pavilion  in  which  was  her 
husband,  the  King  Marouf.  Now  it  was  his  custom,  when  he  slept,  to 
take  off  the  seal-ring  and  conceal  it ;  and  she  knew  this  :  so  she  went  forth 
by  night  to  go  in  to  him  in  the  pavilion  when  he  was  drowned  in  sleep,  and 
to  steal  this  ring  in  such  a  manner  that  he  should  not  see  her.  But  the 
king's  son  at  that  time  was  awake,  in  a  private  chamber  with  the  door 
open  ;  and  when  she  came  forth  from  her  pavilion,  he  saw  her  carefully 
walking  toward  the  pavilion  of  his  father,  and  he  said  within  himself, 
Wherefore  hath  this  sorceress  come  forth  from  her  pavilion  in  the  hour  of 
darkness,  and  wherefore  do  I  see  her  repairing  to  the  oavilion  of  my  father? 
566 


THL  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

There  must  be  a  cause  for  this  event.  He  then  went  forth  behind  her, 
and  followed  her  steps  without  her  seeing  him.  And  he  had  a  short,  jew- 
eled sword  ;  and  he  used  not  to  go  forth  to  the  council  chamber  of  his  father 
without  having  this  sword  hung  by  his  side,  because  he  prized  it  highly  ; 
and  when  his  father  saw  him,  he  used  to  laugh  at  him,  and  say,  God's 
will !  Verily  thy  sword  is  excellent,  O  my  son  !  But  thou  hast  not  gone 
down  with  it  to  battle,  nor  cut  oft"  with  it  a  head.  And  thereupon  he  used 
to  reply,  I  shall  not  fail  to  cut  with  it  a  neck  that  shall  be  deserving  of  the 
cutting.  And  his  father  would  laugh  at  his  words.  Now  when  he  walked 
behind  his  father's  wife,  he  drew  the  sword  from  its  scabbard,  and  followed 
her  until  she  entered  the  pavilion  of  his  father,  when  he  stood  watching 
her  at  the  door  of  the  pavilion ;  and  as  he  continued  looking  at  her,  he  saw 
her  searching,  and  saying,  Where  hath  he  put  the  seal-ring?  He  there- 
fore understood  that  she  was  looking  about  for  the  ring ;  and  he  ceased 
not  to  wait,  observing  her,  until  she  found  it,  when  she  said,  Lo,  here  it  is. 
And  she  picked  it  up,  and  was  about  to  come  forth.     So  he  hid  himself  be- 


Dcatli  of  Fatiiua  el-(  )rra. 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 

hind  the  door ;  and  when  she  came  forth  from  the  door,  she  looked  at  the 
ring,  and  turned  it  over  in  her  hand,  and  was  about  to  rub  it.  But  he 
raised  his  hand  with  the  sword  and  struck  her  upon  her  neck,  and  she  ut- 
tered one  cry,  then  fell  down  slain. 

Upon  this  Marouf  awoke,  and  beheld  his  wife  laid  prostrate,  and  her 
blood  flowing,  and  his  son  with  the  sword  drawn  in  his  hand.  So  he  said 
to  him,  What  is  this,  O  my  son  ?  He  replied,  O  my  father,  how  often 
hast  thou  said  to  me,  Verily  thy  sword  is  excellent;  but  thou  hast  not 
gone  down  with  it  to  battle,  nor  cut  off  with  it  a  head  ?  And  I  answered 
thee,  I  shall  not  fail  to  cut  with  it  a  neck  deserving  of  the  cutting.  Lo, 
now  I  have  cut  for  thee  with  it  a  neck  deserving  of  the  cutting.  And  he 
acquainted  him  with  her  case.  Then  he  searched  for  the  seal-ring,  but  he 
saw  it  not.  And  he  ceased  not  to  search  her  person  until  he  saw  her 
hand  closed  upon  it.  Marouf  therefore  took  it  from  her  hand,  and  said  to 
the  boy,  Thou  art  my  son  without  doubt  or  uncertainty.  May  God  relieve 
thee  from  trouble  in  this  world  and  in  the  next,  as  thou  hast  relieved  me 
from  this  base  woman  !  Her  course  only  led  her  to  her  own  destruction  ; 
and  divinely  gifted  was  he  who  said, 

When  God's  aid  promoteth  the  business  of  a  man,  his  wish,  in  every  case,  is  easily 

accomplished ; 
But  if  the  aid  of  God  be  not  granted  to  a  man,  the  first  thing  that  harmeth  him  is 

his  own  endeavor. 

Then  the  King  Marouf  called  out  to  some  of  his  dependents,  who  came  to 
him  quickly,  and  he  acquainted  them  with  that  which  his  wife  Fatima  el- 
Orra  had  done,  and  commanded  them  to  take  her  and  put  her  in  a  place 
until  the  morning.  So  they  did  as  he  commanded  them  ;  after  which  he 
appointed  a  number  of  the  eunuchs  to  take  charge  of  her ;  and  they  washed 
her  and  shrouded  her,  made  for  her  a  funeral  procession,  and  buried  her. 
Thus  her  coming  from  Cairo  was  only  a  journey  to  her  grave.  Divinely 
gifted  was  he  who  said, 

We  trod  the  steps  appointed  for  us  ;  and  he  whose  steps  are  appointed  must  tread 

them. 
He  whose  death  is  decreed  to  take  place  in  one  land  will  not  die  in  any  land  but 

that. 

And  how  excellent  is  this  saying  of  the  poet : 

I  know  not,  when  I  journey  to  a  land,  desiring  good  fortune,  whether  will  betide 

me 
The   good  fortune   of  which  I   am  in  pursuit,  or  the  misfortune  that  pursueth 

me. 

The  King  Marouf  then  sent  to  summon  the  plowman  who  had  enter 
tained  him  when  he  was  a  fugitive  ;  and  when  he  came,  he  appointed  him 
his  vizier  of  the  right  hand,  and  his  counselor.  And  he  learned  that  he 
had  a  daughter  of  surpassing  beauty  and  loveliness,  of  generous  qualities, 
of  noble  race,  of  high  dignity  :  so  he  married  her.  And,  after  a  period  of 
time,  he  married  his  son.  And  they  remained  a  long  time  enjoying  the 
most  comfortable  life ;  their  times  were  unsullied  and  their  joys  were 
sweet,  until  they  were  visited  by  the  terminator  of  delights  and  the  sep- 
arator of  companions,  and  the  ruiner  of  flourishing  houses,  and  him  who 
568 


THE  STORY  OF  MAROUF. 


maketh  sons  and  daughters  orphans.  Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  the 
Living  who  dieth  not,  and  in  whose  hands  are  the  keys  of  the  dominion 
that  is  apparent  and  the  dominion  that  is  hidden ! 


CONCLUSION. 


Sheherazade,  during  this  period,  had  borne  the  king  three  male  chil- 
dren ;  and  when  she  had  ended  these  tales,  she  rose  upon  her  feet  and 
kissed  the  ground  before  the  king,  and  said  to  him.  O  king  of  the  time,  and 
incomparable  one  of  the  age  and  period,  verily  I  am  thy  slave,  and  during 
a  thousand  and  one  nights  I  have  related  to  thee  the  history  of  the  pre- 
ceding generations,  and  the  admonitions  of  the  people  of  former  times  ; 
then  have  I  any  claim  upon  thy  majesty,  so  that  I  may  request  of  thee  to 
grant  to  me  a  wish  ?  And  the  king  answered  her,  Request ;  thou  shalt 
receive,  O  Sheherazade.  So  thereupon  she  called  out  to  the  nurses  and 
the  eunuchs,  aud  said  to  them,  Bring  ye  my  children.  Accordingly,  they 
brought  them  to  her  quickly ;  and  they  were  three  male  children :  one  of 
them  walked,  and  one  crawled,  and  one  was  at  the  breast.  And  when 
they  brought  them,  she  took  them  and  placed  them  before  the  king,  aud, 
having  kissed  the  ground,  said,  O  king  of  the  age,  these  are  thy  children, 
and  I  request  of  thee  that  thou  exempt  me  from  slaughter,  as  a  favor  to 
these  infants ;  for  if  thou  slay  me,  these  infants  will  become  without  a 
mother,  and  will  not  find  among  women  one  who  will  real-  them  well.  And 
thereupon  the  king  wept,  and  pressed  his  children  to  his  bosom,  and  said, 
O  Sheherazade,  by  Allah,  I  pardoned  thee  before  the  coming  of  these 
children,  because  I  saw  thee  to  be  chaste,  pure,  ingenuous,  pious.  May 
God  bless  thee,  and  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  and  thy  root  and  thy 
branch !  I  call  God  to  witness  against  me  that  I  have  exempted  thee 
from  every  thing  that  might  injure  thee.  So  she  kissed  his  hands  and  his 
feet,  and  rejoiced  with  exceeding  joy  ;  and  she  said  to  him,  May  God  pro- 
long thy  life,  and  increase  thy  dignity  and  majesty  ! 

Joy  spread  through  the   palace   of  the   king  until   it  became  diffused 

throughout  the  city,  and  it  was  a  night  not  to  be  reckoned  among  lives;  its 

color  was  whiter  than  the  face  of  day.     The  king  arose  in  the  morning 

happy,  and  with  prosperity  inundated ;  and  he  sent  to  all  the  soldiers,  who 

570 


CONCLUSION. 


Shehcrazadc  and  the  children  before  the  kins: 


came ;  and  he  conferred  upon  his  vizier,  the  father  of  Sheherazade,  a 
sumptuous  and  magnificent  robe  of  honor,  saying  to  him,  May  God  protect 
thee,  since  thou  hast  married  to  me  thy  generous  daughter,  who  hath  been 
the  cause  of  my  repenting  of  slaying  the  daughters  of  the  people,  and  I 
have  seen  her  Jo  be  ingenuous,  pure,  chaste,  virtuous.  Moreover,  God 
hath  blessed  me  by  her  with  three  male  children  ;  and  praise  be  to  God 
for  this  abundant  favor!  Then  he  conferred  robes  of  honor  upon  all  tho 
viziers,  and  emirs,  and  lords  of  the  empire,  and  gave  orders  to  decorate  the 
city  thirty  days;  and  he  caused  not  any  one  of  the  people  of  the  city  to 
expend  aught  of  his  wealth ;  for  all  the  expense  and  disbursements  were 
from  the  king's  treasury.  So  they  decorated  the  city  in  a  magnificent 
manner,  the  like  of  which  had  not  been  seen  before,  and  the  drums  were 
beaten,  and  the  pipes  were  sounded,  and  all  the  performers  of  sports  ex- 
hibited their  arts,  and  the  king  rewarded  them  munificently  with  gifts  and 
presents.  He  bestowed  alms,  also,  upon  the  poor  and  needy,  and  extended 
his  generosity  to  all  his  subjects,  and  all  the  people  of  his  dominions.  And 
he  and  the  people  of  his  empire  continued  in  prosperity,  and  joy,  and  de- 

571 


CONCLUSION. 

light,  and  happiness,  until  they  were  visited  by  the  terminator  of  delights 
and  the  separator  of  companions. 

Extolled  be  the  perfection  of  Him  whom  the  vicissitudes  of  times  do 
not  destroy,  and  to  whom  no  change  happeneth,  whom  no  circumstauce 
diverteth  from  another  circumstance,  and  who  is  alone  distinguished  by 
the  attributes  of  perfection  !  And  blessing  and  peace  be  on  the  Imam  of 
his  Majesty,  and  the  elect  from  among  his  creatures,  our  Lord  Mohammed, 
the  lord  among  mankind,  through  whom  we  supplicate  God  for  a  happy 
end  ! 


1 


THE    END. 


572 


I 


DATE  DUE 

Will  w 

"Wlf* 

CAVLONO 

PRINTED  IN  U.S.*.  | 

PJ7715.L26  1848v.2 

I  he  thousand  and  one  nights,  or,  The 

HIIINiImii  ™eological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00078  2740      ^>v 


